Condoleezza Rice cancels Vietnam trip, hails reform and relations
The US Secretary of State has canceled her trip to Vietnam but speaks highly of Vietnamese progress, saying that Vietnam’s recent economic reforms will make US Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) possible.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the statement on the proposed PNTR plan set to go before congress at a July 21 press briefing in Washington D.C., attended by reporters from Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia.
Rice added that Vietnamese people are tremendously industrious, hardworking and entrepreneurial.
Expressing her desire to visit Vietnam, Rice said she has regrettably had to cancel her intended trips to Vietnam and other Asian countries due to the strained situation in the Middle East.
However, she confirmed that US President George W. Bush “is very much looking forward to going to Vietnam .”
Rice also noted that bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US “are improving very rapidly.”
Vietnam News Agency - July 23, 2006.
|