VNA | 19 Dec 2008

Vietnam, US holds first BIT negotiation

Washington (VNA) - The first round of negotiations on the Vietnam-US Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) was held in Washington from Dec. 15-18.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by a representative from the Ministry of Planning and Investment and included representatives from the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Finance, Justice, the State Bank of Vietnam and the Vietnamese Embassy in the US .

The US delegation, led by officials from the Department of State and the US Trade Representatives, comprised of delegates from the departments of Commerce, the Treasury and related agencies.

The two sides reviewed and exchanged views on the contents of the agreement’s articles to identify each other’s interest, which will help create a foundation for more practical discussions at the next negotiation rounds.

The next round of negotiation to take place in scheduled by the end of the first quarter of 2009 in Hanoi.