Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien (R) and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (Photo: Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade/VNA)
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and deputy head of the Government’s negotiating team Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan on November 12 met with Deputy United States Trade Representative Rick Switzer in the US to launch the technical negotiation sessions.
The meeting focused on bilateral economic and commercial relations and on implementing the outcomes of the 8th ministerial-level negotiation session held on November 10 between Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Tan discussed a number of issues arising from the ministerial-level session and agreed on several areas of focus to ensure the technical teams of both sides work towards achieving the best possible results.
Switzer welcomed Vietnam’s positive progress in trade policy, institutional reform and international integration commitments, as well as the outcomes of the recent negotiation rounds. He affirmed that close cooperation between the two sides would facilitate the negotiating process.
Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and intensify exchanges among their technical groups to advance negotiations in line with the guidance of senior leaders and the two ministers, with the aim of soon concluding a new framework for bilateral trade cooperation that further deepens the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Immediately following the meeting, negotiating teams from both countries moved promptly into detailed discussions within their respective working groups to address the agreed negotiation items.
Later in the afternoon, Dien met with leaders of the Gulf of America Energy Sourcing LLC, a US energy corporation headquartered in Louisiana, affirming Vietnam’s encouragement of participation in the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and energy markets in the country.
The deputy minister also held talks with Joseph Damond, Chair of International Trade Policy & Global Life Sciences at Crowell Global Advisors. Damond previously served as Deputy US Trade Representative (1989-2001) and as chief negotiator for the Vietnam-US bilateral trade agreement (1995-2000).
