http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4515519.stm
Vietnam PM plans first US visit Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has announced he is planning a historic visit to Washington next month. It will be the first trip to the US by a Vietnamese leader since the end of the Vietnam War 30 years ago. Speaking during an official visit to Australia, Mr Khai said the US trip would "elevate our relationship to a higher plane". Vietnam and the US have been gradually improving ties since they established diplomatic relations 10 years ago. But both countries are still haunted by the war, in which 2 million Vietnamese and almost 60,000 US troops died. "Thirty years have passed since the end of the war. This is the first ever visit by a leader of a unified Vietnam to the United States," Mr Khai told reporters on Thursday. "We need to strengthen the comprehensive relationship and co-operation," he said. Analysts said that one topic which is likely to be on the agenda is Vietnam's desire to join the World Trade Organisation. China rising Questioned by a reporter in Canberra, Mr Khai denied that the visit was part of a wider policy designed to contain China's growing influence. He said the trip was aimed at "elevating and strengthening" Hanoi's relations with Washington, and should not affect ties with neighbouring China. While a visit by Mr Khai will be the first by a Vietnamese leader, senior officials have already made several visits to the US in recent years. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung went to America in 2000 to mark a bilateral trade agreement. In the same year, US President Bill Clinton became the first US leader to visit Vietnam since the end of the war. 'Valued guest' Mr Khai's announcement came during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Mr Howard said Mr Khai was a "valued guest", and the Vietnamese delegation was welcomed with a 21-gun salute. During the press conference, Mr Khai announced his support for Australia's bid to attend the inaugural East Asia summit in Malaysia in December. "We always highly appreciate the role played by Australia in the region and the world. Therefore, Australia should participate in such a summit meeting," he said. In return, Mr Howard announced his backing for Hanoi's entry into the World Trade Organisation. But outside the parliament building, hundreds of protesters urged Mr Howard to question his Vietnamese counterpart on alleged human rights abuses. Many of the demonstrators were originally refugees from Vietnam, who fled the country after the Communist victory in 1975. Mr Khai will hold talks on security and trade issues in the coming days, before leaving Australia for New Zealand on Saturday. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
