Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Bandar Seri Begawan, August 1 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien on Wednesday proposed that Viet Nam and the U.S. establish a joint mechanism to deal with arising problems as soon as possible.

FM Nien made the proposal while meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on the sidelines of the ninth ASEAN regional forum (ARF) meeting in the capital city of Brunei on July 31.

He stressed that the two countries should focus their efforts on bolstering economic and commercial ties on the basis of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA).

"The implementation of the BTA will help boost economic and trade relations between Viet Nam and the U.S. and, therefore, both sides should focus on it," he told Mr. Powell. FM Nien also asked the U.S. to carry out its Education Fund for Viet Nam.

State Secretary Powell praised Viet Nam's efforts to accelerate economic development and its global economic integration in the recent past and said the U.S. and Viet Nam should focus their efforts on carrying out the BTA.

He also drew his Vietnamese counterpart's attention to the fact that trade disputes like the catfish dumping lawsuit are normal occurrences in trade ties between the U.S. and other countries.

It is important for the two sides to seek ways and means to solve the dispute and further promote their bilateral trade, Mr. Powell told FM. Nien.

The same day, FM Nien met his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov to discuss measures to strengthen Vietnamese-Russian relations and to carry out bilateral agreements signed during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kassianov's visit to Viet Nam.

Mr. Ivanov said he hoped that the two countries would continue to enhance their cooperation bilaterally and multilaterally in the interests of the two peoples as well as for peace and stability in the region and elsewhere in the world.

At his meeting with Javier Solana, member of the European Council in charge of foreign affairs, FM Nien appreciated the EU's cooperation with and assistance to Viet Nam and asked the EU to continue its support for Viet Nam's successful economic development and effective global integration.

The EU should work together with Viet Nam to help African countries under a tripartite cooperation model through which Viet Nam has successfully worked with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and some African nations, he told Solana.

Also on the sidelines of the ninth ARF meeting, FM Nien held talks with Thai Foreign Minister Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai to exchange views on a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern.

Both sides agreed to further implement high-level agreements in order to boost the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

They also agreed to work towards an early completion of a draft joint statement on the Vietnamese-Thai cooperation framework in the first decade of the 21st century so as to facilitate the signing within the year.

The two ministers noted that the upcoming seventh meeting of the Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Committee will serve as a good opportunity for ministries and agencies from both countries to review their cooperation and seek concrete measures to bolster bilateral cooperation.

They also lauded and encouraged diverse forms of cooperation between Thailand's northeastern provinces and Viet Nam's central provinces as well as their involvement in local cooperation between Viet Nam, Thailand and Laos.

The two ministers further exchanged views on the ways and means to increase cooperation between the two countries in the economic, commercial, tourism and security sectors as well as their coordination within the sub-regional and ASEAN frameworks.--Enditem