US Lower House Chairman to Pay First Ever Visit Tour to Vietnam

Speaker of the US Lower House Dennis Hastert, the third most powerful leader of the Washington Administration, will pay a historic visit to Vietnam before the communist country holds the 10^th Congress, during which it will set up a new administration and reveal it next five-year economic plan.

 

Hastert, at the invitation of the Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, will lead an eight-congressman delegation to tour Vietnam from April 14-17, while the seven-day congress is scheduled to start on the 18^th of this month.

 

This is the highest-ranking leader of the US to officially tour Vietnam in the history of Hanoi-Washington relations. Hastert ranks after President and Vice President in the US administration. 

 

He is due to meet with Chairman An and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai during his four-day stay in Vietnam.

 

According to the Thanh Nien newspaper, the visit will also focus on Vietnam’s proposal asking the US congress to offer Vietnam Permanent Normal Trade Relations, a vital condition for Vietnam to gain its ticket to join the World Trade Organization.

 

Last week, Vietnam and the US concluded their 11^th round of WTO talks, however discussions have not yet been completed. The remaining issues relate to business rights and farm subsidies.

 

In another development, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese parliament Truong Quang Duoc yesterday started his tour of China. The visit, made at the invitation of the Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee, will focus on cooperation between Vietnam and China.

 

Two weeks earlier, Jia Qinglin a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee visited Vietnam.

 

He held workshops with top Vietnamese leaders including Secretary Nong Duc Manh Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Chairman Nguyen Van An.

 

Recently, Vietnam-China and Vietnam-US ties have been consistently improving. Importantly, Vietnam and the US have been more regularly exchanging high-ranking delegations. However, Vietnam has not yet completed WTO discussions with the US.