Vietnam presses for WTO entry in US talks
WASHINGTON - Vietnam opened high-level talks with the United States, seeking to clear its final hurdle to joining the World Trade Organisation before it hosts a flagship summit later this year.
Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen led his communist government's delegation at the meeting here with Vietnam's former wartime enemy. Sitting opposite was Dorothy Dwoskin, who leads WTO negotiations for the US Trade Representative.
Vietnam wants to complete the talks by May so it can join the WTO before it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (
APEC) summit in November, which US
President George W. Bush plans to attend.
After Hanoi signed a deal with Mexico two weeks ago, the United States is the last country with which it needs to conclude bilateral discussions in order to accede to the global trading club.
WTO membership would be a powerful symbol of the emergence onto the world stage of one of Asia's fastest-growing economies. Vietnam's giant neighbour China joined the group in 2001.
Truong was reported as saying this week that "the negotiation gap has narrowed" and that the two sides could wrap up the talks in Washington this week.
But the United States has warned Vietnam that the negotiations cannot be rushed through, citing unresolved issues such as subsidies and market access.
"We are a little more careful I think than some other (countries) ... we take longer (to negotiate) and also our interests are much more diverse," a US trade official told reporters Monday.
"I certainly would like it to be done as quickly as possible but I am not going to substitute speed for substance. So it would take as long as it takes," the US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
This round of negotiations is scheduled to end on Thursday.
Vietnam must also secure the status of permanent normal trading relations (PNTR) from the US Congress, where its human rights record could come under scrutiny by legislators facing polls in November.
Agence France Presse - May 9, 2006.
|