Vietnamese minister heading to U.S. to arrange first presidential visit since Vietnam War
HANOI - Vietnam's foreign minister plans to visit the United States next week to negotiate the details for the first visit by the president of the communist country since the Vietnam war ended, officials reported.
Pham Gia Khiem, who also serves as deputy prime minister, is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and congressmen, said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung.
He will also visit several U.S. financial institutions, businesses and educational organizations during the six-day visit from March 11 to 16, Dung said in his statement posted on the Foreign Ministry's Web site.
"We will discuss the agreements reached during the visit to Hanoi of U.S. President Bush," Khiem said.
The dates for the Vietnamese president's visit to the U.S. have not been decided, but are expected to be in the summer, Khiem said. It will be the nation's highest-ranking leader to visit the United States since the Vietnam war ended.
In June 2005, Vietnam's former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai made a historic visit to the United States.
The Associated Press - March 10, 2007.
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