Vietnam wants U.S. to be No.1 investor

HANOI – Vietnam expects the U.S. to become the No.1 foreign investor here in the country, said Foreign Minister  Pham Binh Minh.
Minh told the press in Hanoi on Tuesday after his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that two-way trade snowballed from several million dollars in 1995 to US$22 billion last year.
Given the huge potential for more growth in bilateral trade and investment ties, a trade mission comprising 20 U.S. firms was accompanying Clinton in her one-day visit to Vietnam.
During her meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Tuesday, Clinton said she appreciated Vietnam’s achievements in socio-economic development and expressed pleasure at development in bilateral relations.
She said the two sides should upgrade their relationship to a strategic partnership and that the U.S. government respects the independence and sovereignty of Vietnam.
Dung expressed his satisfaction at the achievements in the Vietnam-U.S. relationship. The two countries should enhance cooperation on economics, trade, investment, science, technology, education and training, healthcare, environment and humanitarian issues, he said.
Dung and Clinton also discussed the East Sea issues and the Mekong Delta Sub-region cooperation. The two emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and freedom and safety of navigation in the East Sea.
Dung also met with the U.S. business mission. He affirmed that Vietnam will create favorable conditions for foreign investors, including those from the U.S., to do business in Vietnam.
Clinton also paid a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and participated in an event at Hanoi’s Foreign Trade University to mark the 20th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Vietnam.
She noted the role that the Fulbright alumni have been playing in growing Vietnam’s economy and contributing to the development of Vietnam-U.S. relations. Over the last 20 years, the Fulbright Program has sent more than 1,000 Vietnamese students, teachers and scholars to the U.S. for higher education and research.