Vietnam has just wrapped up the negotiation process on its bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) with Honduras and the Dominican Republic, and almost arrived at a deal with the US, announced Deputy Trade Minister Luong Van Tu in Thanh Nien (Young People) Newspaper.
“Vietnam is on the last paving stone on the long road to membership", Thanh Nien quoted the Head of Vietnamese WTO negotiation commission as saying.
He told reporters in particular that Hanoi was "moving towards a final deal" in crucial talks on a trade agreement with Washington. However, US trade diplomats in Geneva, where the WTO is based, declined to make a detailed comment, they just signaled that before the bilateral talk with Vietnam they had made "substantial progress".
The most vexing issue on the negotiation table relates to copyright property rights as the US is troubled by the country's vibrant bootlegging industry. Some other highlights of the talks hindering the process are farm trade tariffs, telecommunications and market access for service companies.
Norwegian Trade Ambassador to WTO Eirik Glennem, who is chairing the bilateral discussion said "This work has been successful in pushing the process well forward into its final stages."
Tu also revealed that the final deal with Mexico one of four remaining partners is expected to be obtained quickly. "There are one or two minor issues left," Tu said, adding that a deal is likely to be reached within one or two weeks.
Yet, bilateral agreements are not enough, the country has to officially win the WTO ticket after finishing broader negotiations with WTO members as a group.
Tu unveiled that no fixed date of talks with the WTO group has been fixed so far, "we are trying our best, but it depends on the will of WTO members," he added.
To date, Vietnam has concluded around 4000 bilateral and multilateral talks after 11 years of negotiations.
It has ended discussion with 26 member of the WTO among the 28 partners requiring negotiation. Thanhniennews, Vietnam Panorama
Vietnamese
