Deputy PM to visit US and attend AMM Retreat in Cambodia

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem will pay an official visit from March 11-16 to the United States to strengthen bilateral ties, announced a spokesman on March 1.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Dung said the visit, to be made at the invitation of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, aims at boosting the increasingly active momentum in relations between Vietnam and the US, as well as promoting economic, trade, scientific, technological and educational ties.

Measures to implement agreements reached during US President George W. Bush’s visit to Vietnam last November will also be discussed during Deputy PM Khiem’s trip, added the spokesman. (VNA)

* Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem will attend the annual ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Retreat slated for March 1-2 in Siem Reap, Cambodia..

The meeting is scheduled to discuss measures for implementing tasks set at the 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including the building of an ASEAN Charter and an ASEAN community by 2015, said Le Dung, the spokesman of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry on March 1.

The event will also touch upon issues related to the bloc's foreign relations, with focus on preparations for summit meetings to celebrate the establishment of ties between ASEAN and its dialogue countries, and the 16th ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting, as well as co-operation among ASEAN members.

ASEAN, which was founded in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (VNA)