The U.S. wants to deepen its relation with Vietnam, said the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who paid an official visit to the communist nation on Oct 29-30 to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS).
Hillary made the proposal at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Oct 29, where she confirmed that the U.S. will deepen bilateral ties on economics, trade, investment, healthcare, climate change, education and other fields.
The U.S. Secretary proposed the two sides conduct negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).
She asserted that the U.S. would support Vietnam to build a university specializing in climate change, clear unexploded bombs and mines, mitigate dioxin consequences, improve healthcare, prevent and fight against HIV/AIDS.
Hillary called on regional countries to seek long-term measures on settling the East Sea-related issues, in compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
This is the second time the U.S. State Secretary visited Vietnam. In July, Hillary made a one-week tour to four Asian countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam.
In response to Hilary Clinton’s proposal, the host prime minister said the Vietnamese government has assigned agencies to study the issue, including regarding the economic relations as the core of the bilateral ties and a driving force for other ties.
Dung urged the U.S. to assist the University of Can Tho to become a regional university, support researches on combating climate change in the Mekong Delta, and deal with the war consequences.
He affirmed Vietnam’s supports for the U.S. implementation of constructive policies for the region, especially the Mekong sub-region initiative, the U.S.’s full membership of EAS.
The cabinet leader also repeated his invitation to Barrack Obama to visit Vietnam next year.
Vietnam and the U.S. have been exchanging a series of visits by high-ranking officials, both bilaterally and regionally, during the former’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Bilateral trade between the two countries will surge to $19 billion and $20 billion in 2010, including Vietnam’s exports of over $14 billion. (Vietnamplus)
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