Vietnam: Speeding Up WTO Process

UNCLAS HANOI 000569 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR EBRYAN, GHICKS STATE ALSO FOR E, EB AND EAP/BCLTV STATE PASS USAID FOR CHAPLIN/ANE USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/ASIA/OPB/VLC/HPPHO GENEVA FOR USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON VM WTO SUBJECT: Vietnam: Speeding Up WTO Process ¶1. (U) According to press reports, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly met with key GVN officials on March 4 to discuss ways to ensure timely passage of laws required for WTO accession so that Vietnam can join the WTO at the Hong Kong Ministerial in December. According to the reports, the government described the status of the negotiations and explained the need to accelerate the law- making process. The Standing Committee reportedly agreed to adjust the 2005 law-making plan to speed up the process in parallel with the WTO negotiation process. Under the revised plan, Vietnam will amend and promulgate in 2005 the laws that are of most importance to the negotiating partners. To implement a revised legislative action plan, the NA may adjust its procedures by simplifying the process, prolonging the sessions, or even adding an extra session in 2005, the reports said. ¶2. (SBU) Key GVN officials including the Minister of Trade and his WTO negotiators Vice Minister Luong Van Tu and Director General Tan Quoc Khanh attended the March 4 meeting. In confirming press reports to ECON/C March 8, Khanh stressed that this meeting had been the first step constituting the NA's agreement in principle. The GVN would now need to revise its legislative action plan and then seek NA approval. He went on to say that he was not focusing on deadlines, just on getting everything done. Khanh will be holding bilateral market access talks with the Japanese this week, and with the United States and Canada next week. MARINE MARINE