From WIRE REPORTS
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc began a nine-day visit to the United States today as the head of a delegation to boost mutual understanding, trust and cooperation between the two countries, a Vietnamese government website reported.
Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc in a file photo. Photo by Thanh Nien News.
He is scheduled to meet with several politicians and officials from the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and tour some drug rehabilitation centers.
The delegation will take part in the Viet Nam Executive Leadership Program at the Harvard Kennedy School, which will consist of regular discussion sessions and seminars, applied research, and a guided policy dialogue program for senior Vietnamese officials.
Last month President Truong Tan Sang paid a three-day visit to the U.S., marking a milestone in bilateral relations.
After a meeting between Sang and President Obama, the two sides said they had established a comprehensive partnership that would create opportunities for cooperation in various fields. Obama expressed his concern over human rights in Viet Nam.
Among other things, they pledged to promote negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which, when concluded, would increase bilateral trade and U.S. foreign direct investment in Viet Nam and facilitate Vietnamese exports to the U.S.
