US embassy cable - 05HANOI569

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