Hanoi Indicates Would Move Quickly on Trade Pact

Hanoi Indicates Would Move Quickly on Trade Pact
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam indicated on Thursday its National Assembly would ratify a trade pact signed last year with the United States soon after the U.S. Congress.

``The process of preparing necessary con***ions for ratification of the agreement has been actively and urgently pursued by the Vietnamese side,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Sy Vuong Ha said in a statement.

``Vietnam's National Assembly will consider it as soon as con***ions are right.''

Ha said the pact was in the interests of both countries.

A Democratic Senate aid in Washington told Reuters earlier this week U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick had indicated that the agreement, which was signed last July, would go to Congress for ratification next Monday. If it does, U.S. ratification is expected before the August Congressional recess.

Officials from Vietnam's National Assembly were not immediately available for comment, but analysts expect the body would move quickly after the U.S. Congress.

The National Assembly is in session until the end of June. Its next sitting will be in November.

The Assembly's Deputy Chairman Tao Phung said earlier this month the body would consider the trade deal at the November session if U.S. Congress moved on it first.

However, a diplomat said a wait until November would be unnecessary as it was possible for the standing committee of the Assembly to ratify the pact on behalf of the full body.

Early implementation of the pact would be in the interests of Vietnamese exporters, who would be the first to gain from its market-opening provisions.

Under Vietnam's constitution President Tran Duc Luong is responsible for proposing ratification of international agreements.



Được sửa chữa bởi - despi on 22/12/2001 07:26