Vietnam Ready for Last Negotiations on WTO Entry

Vietnam will join the 13^th round of multilateral talks early October to clear the remaining hurdles to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Youth newspaper reported on August 21.

 

High on the agenda of the upcoming round, which began in July and is expected to be reopened in Geneva early October, will be Vietnam’s multilateral negotiations, discussing the Working Party’s draft report, and evaluating Vietnam’s progress in strengthening its legal system in trade, investment, business, and intellectual property rights.

 

On accession to the WTO, Vietnam will also have to negotiate with other members in mid-September to wrap up the lasting issues from the 12th round last March.

 

Vietnam’s commitments to WTO entry are being circulated among Vietnam’s negotiating partners whose approval was first needed, Office Manager of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation Nguyen Van Long told an economic conference in Hanoi August 17, adding that the draft package was yet to be complete, and it is still being finalized.

 

Vietnam hopes to make public all its commitments next month after finish negotiating for the WTO membership, Long said.

 

After 11 years of negotiations, Vietnam on May 12 concluded bilateral negotiations with the United States, the last of 28 demanding partners, and hopes to complete the talks to help the developing Southeast Asian nation become a WTO member in this fall.