Socialist Republic of Vietnam

National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh received in Hanoi on January 14 a visiting delegation of members of the US House of Representatives led by Edward Royce, Vice Chairman of the Sub-committee for Asia-Pacific of the US House of Representatives' Committee for Foreign Affairs.

Chairman Nong Duc Manh regarded the visit as an active contribution to the mutual understanding between the two legislatures and peoples. He acknowledged the fine developments of the Vietnam-US relations over the past years and highly valued the important role and position of parliamentarians, saying he hoped for more exchanges between parliamentarians to promote mutual understanding.

He recalled the two countries' positive cooperation in solving American Missing-in-Action (MIA) issues and the US humanitarian activities, including aid relief to flood victims in Vietnam's central region.

Chairman Manh stressed economy and trade as the focuses of the Vietnam-US ties in the coming time.

In return, E. Royce said he hoped that Vietnam's economic renovation, including the renovation of the banking system, would gain more achievements and that the trade agreement between the two countries would be signed soon as it would benefit both countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and the Director of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Committee for External Relations Do Van Tai, received the US parliamentarians in Hanoi.

The delegation left Hanoi for a visit to Ho Chi Minh City in the morning of January 15.