Vietnamese PM Holds Talks With US Congressional, Senate Leaders

Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA website

[Unattributed article from the "Politics" page: "PM Dung Meets Leaders of Democratic, Republican Parties"]

Washington (VNA) -Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that the Government of Vietnam always supports and spares no efforts to expand cooperation between the Vietnamese and US legislatures.

PM Dung was meeting with leaders of the Democratic and Republican Parties at the Senate in Washington D.C on June 25, including Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, and some other members of the Senate’s key committees.

The visiting PM thanked the senators and their colleagues at the US Senate for supporting bilateral ties between the two countries and approving the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status with Vietnam , as well as for their support for Vietnam ‘s efforts to become a member of the World Trade Organization.

The PM appreciated the US Congress’ disbursement of 3 million USD for Vietnam to detoxify the environment and assist Agent Orange victims.

He proposed that US Congress delegations visiting Vietnam pay attention to the real situation in Vietnam and its people’s demand, such as the needs for overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals, the clearance of land mines and ordnances and the mitigation of natural calamities rather than focusing on democracy, human rights, religion and ethnicity.

Senators Harry Reid and Mitch Mc Connell spoke highly of PM Dung’s visits to the US . They expressed their pleasure at the expansion of the US-Vietnam ties to various areas, particularly partnership in economics, trade, investment and education.

The hosts said they wanted the two countries to push up their cooperation for the interest of both people.

PM Dung informed the two senators of the results of his talks with President George Bush.

Meeting with Speaker of the US House of Representative Nancy Pelosi, PM Dung thanked the speaker for her support for developing Vietnam-US relations, for Vietnam ‘s WTO admission and the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status with Vietnam , and the special attention she paid to the project for Vietnam ‘s HIV/AIDS prevention effort.

The PM informed Speaker Pelosi about his talks with President George W.Bush. He said that the main message that he conveys to the US during the visit is that while persisting in the foreign policy of independence and befriending all countries, Vietnam attaches importance to the friendship and cooperation with the US, considering the US as a leading partner and sincerely hopes that the two countries will be good friends and good partners.

A Vietnam of peace and development would play a positive role in maintaining peace and stability in the region and benefit the US , the PM said. Vietnam hopes the US will actively support Vietnam ‘s stability, development and international integration, he added.

Pelosi highly appreciated Vietnam ‘s achievements in national development, particularly in poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS prevention. She affirmed her support for the two countries’ cooperation, saying that she is ready to help Vietnam to develop its education and health care.

PM Dung and US Defence Secretary Rober Gates at a meeting on the same day exchanged views on the two countries’defence cooperation and shared the same view that the development of defence relations should conform with each country’s conditions and the two sides’ relations and that the two sides should promote cooperation in resolving matters left from the war.

Secretary Robert Gates thanked the Vietnamese government for cooperation with the US government in the search for US servicemen missing in action and affirmed that the US Defence Department will continue looking for and providing information relating to Vietnamese missing during the war, and continue helping clear mines and other explosive materials in Vietnam.

Later in the evening, PM Dung had a telephone talks with Senator John McCain, the Republican Presidental Candidate.

Originally published by VNA news agency website, Hanoi, in English 25 Jun 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.