Vietnam to Join Last WTO Mutual Talks in Fortnight
Vietnam will participate in the multilateral round talk considered the last one on its bid to join the world trade organization (WTO) on July 19 in Geneva, said Head of the International Law Department Hoang Phuoc Hiep to Tuoi Tre’s (Youth) newspaper.
In this round, the most important task of Vietnamese negotiators is to decide what should be multilateral commitments and what should be bilateral commitments, the officials noted. Also, they will have to summarize a final WTO pledging package, he added.
Hiep said that after all, the above processes are completed, Vietnam may have to participate in one more technical session and wait for a meeting of the WTO to get the approval for its membership.
In related news, Chairwoman of the AmCham in Vietnam, Virginia Foot, announced the first session of the US Congress on granting Vietnam Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), a vital condition for Vietnam to join the Geneva-based trade club, is scheduled on July 12.
The Finance Committee of the Upper House will consider the bill before submitting it to the Lower House, the US trade official said.
Vietnam is now hurrying to lobby for the PNTR from the US law making agency. If the country wants to join the WTO this year, it has to receive the PNTR before the summer break of the US congress in August. Some groups of the US body strongly oppose the trade status for Vietnam while others support it.
Youth, Vietnam Panorama
Vietnamese
