HA NOI — US-Viet Nam relations have experienced a good time of development, according to US Ambassador Michael Michalak.

Meeting with the press in Ha Noi yesterday on his first working year in Viet Nam, the diplomat stressed that over the last 12 months, Viet Nam and the US exchanged a number of visits by governmental, parliamentary and trade delegations.

During Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the US in June at the invitation of President George W. Bush, the two leaders agreed to place importance on economic and trade relations. The two sides also signed important co-operation agreements on education and climate changes.

He expressed his pleasure at the growing bilateral trade in the first half of 2008, which exceeded the US$12.53 billion level made in 2007. Remarkably, US export value to Viet Nam during the period reached $1.61 billion. US investment in Viet Nam strongly developed, he said.

Thanks to an education agreement signed during the Vietnamese PM’s tour of the US, a bilateral committee on education would be set up to expand co-operation between the two countries in the field as well as assist more Vietnamese students to study in the US, the diplomat said.

Regarding joint efforts in dealing with Agent Orange/Dioxin, the ambassador revealed that a $3 million project on overcoming the environment and health would be started in the next two or three weeks. He also talked about the need of mine clearance.

Ambassador Michalak hailed Viet Nams success at the UNSC which helps to increase the country’s role and prestige in the world arena. — VNS