Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Hanoi, Mar. 13 (VNA) -- "We advocate putting aside the past and looking toward the future for joint development cooperation in our relations with the United States as well as with other countries that once were hostile to Vietnam," the spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said in Hanoi on Mar. 13.

Phan Thuy Thanh was answering a foreign correspondents' question on Vietnam's reaction to US Defense Secretary William Cohen's statement in Hong Kong on Mar. 12 that he would make no apologies for the war in Vietnam during his visit to the country.

The spokeswoman further said: "We think the US Government understand that they should sincerely and effectively cooperate with Vietnam to solve issues left by the war in order to remove the prejudices of the past."

She noted: "We Vietnamese uphold the tradition of humanity and harmony. The sufferings and losses caused by US aggression during the American war to the Vietnamese people were very great and heavy."

"Defense Secretary Cohen is now the guest of Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence. He has come to Vietnam to discuss bilateral issues and issues of common concern."