Vietnam bestowed ‘Country of the Year’ honor in US
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) on Thursday conferred the 2006 Country of the Year honor to the Vietnam Embassy in the US, marking the country’s official admission to the WTO.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Tam Chien received the prestigious certificate, granted by USTDA director Thelma J. Askey.
Earlier, the award had been presented to the Vietnamese government on the occasion of the APEC summit held last November in Hanoi capital.
The honor was bestowed on the South East Asian country in recognition of its prominent accomplishments in economic reform and administrative shake-up, USTDA said.
Hailing Vietnam as the fastest-thriving economy in Southeast Asia, USTDA director Thelma J. Askey said the country has delivered serious commitments to adopting modern governance, revamping investment regulations, and liberalizing the financial services sector.
"The USTDA has been pleased to co-operate with strong partners in Vietnam to fulfill key development goals in a vast range of sectors. We look forward to maintaining a strong commitment to Vietnam in 2007 with activities that will foster an environment conducive to trade, investment, and sustainable economic development,” she said.
Since the USTDA's program was launched in Vietnam in 1996, the agency has funded grants worth US$210.5 million spent for supporting priority development projects and procurement opportunities in Vietnam, mainly focusing on the transportation, energy, services, water and human resource sectors.
In 2006, the agency expanded its Vietnam portfolio by furnishing the country with assistance meant for meeting priorities established in the APEC forum, Vietnam's World Trade Organization accession negotiations, and its efforts to obtain permanent normal trade relations with the US.
By An Dien - Thanh Nien - January 11, 2007.
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