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Vietnam seeks WTO entry but not at any price: minister
2006-09-22
Vietnam will do its best to join the World Trade Organization as soon as possible but the communist nation will not pay any price to do so. A Vietnamese team is expected to go to Geneva next week to start what could be its last multilateral session on its membership application. "We will join the WTO, possibly in early 2007 at the latest," Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen was quoted by the online newspaper VnExpress as saying Friday. "It is not such a long time -- but we will not join WTO at any price." At the end of May, Vietnam cleared a crucial hurdle when it reached a bilateral accord with the United States. Two months later, Norwegian trade ambassador Eirik Glenne said Vietnam could get the green light at the WTO General Council meeting in October 10-11. After failing to gain entry in 2005, the Southeast Asian nation has been aiming to secure a deal before it hosts an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November which US President George Bush is expected to attend. That timing now looks tight. "It is not absolutely necessary for Vietnam to join WTO before the APEC summit," Tuyen was quoted as saying on VnEXpress, refusing to accept any "irrational demands" from other countries. Following approval from the WTO's General Council, Vietnam would have to ratify its accession deal and then wait another 30 days before becoming a full member. In Geneva, Hanoi needs to solve several remaining multilateral questions, including tax and intellectual property issues, labor standards, textiles and apparel and trading rights, foreign sources said. The European Union said earlier this month it was ready to support Vietnam's bid for swift accession although there was still technical work to be done.
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