Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Seattle, June 20 (VNA) - Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and a delegation of the Vietnamese Government arrived in Seattle, the capital city of the state of Washington, on June 19 (June 20 Viet Nam time), the first destination on his official visit to the United States of America at the invitation of President George Walker Bush.

PM Khai was welcomed at the airport by Washington state Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen and US Ambassador to Viet Nam Michael Marine. Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien together with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese residents in the US also warmly welcomed PM Khai and the Vietnamese Government delegation.

During his stay in Seattle, PM Khai visited aircraft manufacturing facilities of the Boeing Group and called on the family of Nguyen Van Bich, a Vietnamese person who is residing in Seattle.

In the afternoon on the same day, the Vietnamese Government leader met with the press circle. Khai said that over the past 10 years, since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the relationship between the two Governments and peoples has developed continuously in many domains in the spirit of looking towards the future and has initially gained encouraging achievements. Despite some differences, there is no major dispute between the two countries. On the contrary, Viet Nam and the US have the same concerns and benefits in many areas in bilateral ties, as well as in many international issues.

The Vietnamese PM held that there is a firm foundation for lifting bilateral relations to a new height of development, and together developing relations of friendship, constructive partnership, and firm, comprehensive and long-term cooperation for mutual interest. Doing these things will contribute to peace, cooperation and the development of nations in the Asia-Pacific region, of which the two countries are a part, and in the world. Khai said he hoped that the visit will open up new prospects for Viet Nam-US cooperative ties and benefit both countries.

Talking to Vietnamese residents living in the US, the PM affirmed that the Party and the State consider overseas Vietnamese to be an inseparable component of the Vietnamese nation, and an invaluable manpower source for Viet Nam. He also said he believed that Vietnamese people in the US, in the spirit of patriotism and national unity, will be an important bridge helping to expand friendly and cooperative ties between the two peoples and businessmen of the two countries. The PM also answered some questions posed by journalists.

Also in the afternoon, PM Khai met with representatives from the Gap and Nike groups, and the general director of Boeing.

In the evening, representatives of the authorities of Washington state, Seattle and some major companies hosted a banquet in honour of the PM and the Vietnamese Government delegation.

After a welcoming speech by Washington state Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, PM Khai expressed his delight at beginning his official visit to the US by visiting Washington state, where many world leading groups in high technology such as Boeing and Microsoft are based, and which was the first US state to establish relations with Viet Nam.

At present, Washington state accounts for a large part of the US's total exports to Viet Nam and has set up co-operative ties with the northern port city of Hai Phong.

PM Khai said he highly appreciated the goodwill of the Washington state authorities, businesses and people and their efforts to promote cooperation for mutual benefits with Viet Nam. As both Viet Nam and the US are located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, they have favourable conditions to become each other's partners in many areas, he said, adding that Viet Nam considers the US in general and Washington state in particular to be its important partners due to their huge potentials in economics and science-technology, especially high technology.

In this spirit, PM Khai said he believed that cooperation between Viet Nam and the US, including Washington state, will be expanded and improved for the benefit of both sides.