WTO commits further assistance to Vietnam

VNGOVNet – In the afternoon of November 15, at the head office of the Government, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng received the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Pascal Lamy, who is paying a working visit to Vietnam.

November 15, 2006 9:13 PM GMT+7

The Prime Minister informed the guest that by late November 2006, the Vietnamese Government will submit to the National Assembly for ratification the Protocol on Vietnam’s Accession to WTO. "At discussions during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting 2006, Vietnam has been strongly pushing for some measures to re-ignite the Doha Development Agenda on trade liberalization," PM Dũng stressed, adding that joining WTO will bring Vietnam both challenges and opportunities. But the country’s economy is sure to strengthen and grow.

Mr. Dũng expressed his wish that WTO and Mr. Pascal Lamy himself will take better care of and lend further support to Vietnam considering its new membership to WTO and status of a developing country.

Mr. Pascal Lamy lauded Vietnam for its 11 years of persistent negotiations that led to its eventual accession to WTO as the 150^th member. The guest affirmed that WTO and himself are willing to help developing countries, especially Vietnam. He expected Vietnamese ministries concerned to get started in advising the Government to identify the areas in need of WTO's help together with plans to carry out.

By Xuân Hồng