MOLISA FAVORS LOU EXTENSION AND LABOR DIALOGUE NEXT WEEK

UNCLAS HANOI 000842 SENSITIVE SIPDIS LABOR FOR LI ZHAU USTR FOR DBISBEE STATE FOR EAP/MLS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ETRD EAID ECON VM SUBJECT: MOLISA FAVORS LOU EXTENSION AND LABOR DIALOGUE NEXT WEEK ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) would like to sign a four-year extension of the Letter of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Labor. It also proposes to send a Vice Minister to Washington at the end of July/beginning of August to sign the extension and to hold the bilateral labor dialogue at that time instead of October. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Mr. Tran Phi Tuoc, the Director for the International Cooperation Department, of MOLISA invited the Economic Counselor to a meeting today in which he noted MOLISA's desire to sign a four-year extension of the current Letter of Understanding which expires August 17. He also indicated MOLISA would like to hold the bilateral dialogue at the end of July or beginning of August, instead of October. Tuoc noted the Government of Vietnam's internal TIFA group wanted to push this as a result of the Prime Minister's favorable trip to Washington. Below is the text of the letter Tuoc delivered to the Economic Counselor. ¶3. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT I would like to thank you and colleagues for your efforts regarding the extension of the Letter of Understanding between MOLISA and the US Department of Labor as well as the preparation for Vietnam-US Labor Dialogue 2008. Through our discussions, we have reached common positive understandings and showed our willingness to promote the fine existing relation and cooperation activities in labor sector. With the best of our joint efforts, we would like to kindly request you to inform the US DOL that: ¶1. MOLISA would like to sign the agreement to extend the LoU for four more years (until 2012). The signing could preferably be held at the end of July or early August 2008. ¶2. For the signing, MOLISA is willing and planning to send a Delegation headed by our Vice Minister to the United States at the end of July 2008. We would also like to propose US DOL to advance our Labor Dialogue 2008 ahead the schedule and organize this event during MOLISA's above visit to the United States. We would be highly appreciated for the Embassy kind cooperation in this matter. Thank you very much and wish you good health, success. End Text. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: ONE of the factors driving the request for a labor dialogue meeting soonest is the ongoing GSP review, which has an August 4 deadline for public comments. While the MOLISA proposal provides very short notice, having the labor dialogue now instead of the fall would allow both sides a timely opportunity to address some of the issues that the USG will examine in the GSP review. End comment. MICHALAK