Vietnam and US sign Trade Agreement

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 21 witnessed the signing of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and many economic contracts.

Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 21 witnessed the signing of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and many economic contracts. The President also delivered a speech before around 20 CEOs of leading US corporations.

Three million overseas Vietnamese can be proud of their native country

President Triet arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington at 8pm, June 20 (local time) (7am June 21, Hanoi time). Welcoming President Triet and his wife at the airport were representatives of the US Department of State, staffs of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, Vietnamese students in the US and overseas Vietnamese in Washington.

Just after his arrival at the Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel, the President met with staffs of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, Vietnamese students in the US and overseas Vietnamese in Washington and neighbouring areas.

At the meeting, Mr Triet said that the more than three million overseas Vietnamese, including those in the US, could be proud of their native country. He highlighted the contributions of overseas Vietnamese to Vietnam and said he hoped that overseas Vietnamese would always look to their country and return home to see Vietnam’s development.

President Triet affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and state always considered overseas Vietnamese an integral part of the Vietnamese community. He said for that Vietnam to have been able to rise to its current position, many generations of Vietnamese, both inside and outside the country, had had to make unceasing efforts to contribute to the cause of national construction and defence, especially the reforms over the past 20 years.

The President called on overseas Vietnamese to keep in close contact with the home country and pass onto young generations their Vietnamese culture, particularly the Vietnamese language.

President Triet presents a painting to Ms Barshefsky (Photo: Tuan Anh)

President Triet also presented the first-grade Labour Order to staffs of the Vietnamese Embassy in the US and the second-grade Labour Order to Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Tam Chien for his outstanding contributions to promoting the friendship between Vietnam and the US.

Early June 21 (local time), President Triet met with Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, former US Trade Representative of the Bill Clinton administration, who signed the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

At the meeting, Mr Triet praised Ms Barshefsky’s efforts to promoting the relationship between the two countries. He expressed his pleasure that Ms Barshefsky continued to hold important positions which could help her further contribute to the relations with Vietnam. He applauded Ms Barshefsky’s assistance in bringing Intel to invest in Vietnam. Through Ms Barshefsky, Mr Triet conveyed his compliments to former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton.
 
After the meeting, the Vietnamese President and his entourage visited a US farmer family, Mr E. Paul Breaux, the owner of the Breaux Vineyards farm in Purcellville, Virginia.

Vietnam-US trade and investment framework agreement signed

At 11.30am, June 21 (local time), the Vietnamese President attended the welcome meeting held in Washington D.C. by the US Trade Council and the American Chamber of Commerce. He witnessed the signing of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and gave a speech before donors and around 20 CEOs of leading US groups.

President Triet witnesses the two sides exchanging TIFA documents (Photo: Reuters).

In the presence of President Triet and US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Guitierez, Deputy US Trade Representative Karan Bhatia and Vietnamese Deputy Trade Minister Nguyen Cam Tu signed the TIFA.

Under TIFA, the two sides will establish a bilateral cooperation council led by a US and a Vietnamese minister. The agreement is considered a new landmark in the relationship between the two countries, after the BTA signed in 2000, and the first step towards a free trade agreement.

On the same day, some signing ceremonies took place between Vietnamese and American partners, including the Chevron Oil and Gas Group and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), Motorola and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), SSA Marine and the Vietnam Shipping Lines Corporation (Vinalines). The total value of those contracts is more than US$1 billion.

Vietnamese President meets with leaders of US Congress

President Triet met with leaders of the US House of Representatives and US Senate at Capitol Hill at 3pm of the same day. Participating in the meeting were Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means Charles Rangel, House Majority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator McConnel, and many other congressmen.

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