Vietnam Parliament Drafting 30 Legal Documents for WTO Bid

Vietnam Parliament Drafting 30 Legal Documents for WTO Bid

The National Assembly (NA), the highest legislative body in Vietnam, is compiling 30 legal documents to facilitate negotiations on Vietnam joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The documents, including 26 laws and codes and four ordinances, are being drafted or revised and supplemented to carry out duties which will arise during bilateral and multilateral WTO negotiations.

Vietnam's law building program was drawn due concern from major partners, including the US, who consider it as one of Vietnam's top priorities for admission, according to Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen.

The NA's law building program in 2005 has met almost all WTO requirements, he said, adding that the NA will have to build or revise four laws and two ordinances this year.

NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Yeu said that apart from the next two sessions in May and October, the NA will not have to convene any more meetings on law building. It proposed extending the seventh session in May by four days and the eighth session in October by two days to complete the compilation of these legal documents in time and ensure their quality.

The government is striving to convince its partners that Vietnam should revise and issue the most important laws in 2005, and that it will amend and issue other laws after joining the WTO.

The WTO working group has so far conducted nine meetings, the latest in December 2004, during which Vietnam has replied to more than 2,000 questions from WTO members to clarify its trade regime and policies. Twenty-seven partners have asked for bilateral talks with Vietnam in regard to goods and service areas.

The Trade Minister said that Vietnam has concluded negotiations with six partners and has to complete talks with 21 others before July 2005 before it can join the trade body this year.
VNA