Stunning progress in US WTO talks

After three days of intense discussion, negotiators decided on several compromises, in particular on service issues including market access and sensitive areas such as banking, insurance and telecommunications. The two sides also drew considerably closer on issues concerning goods, trading, and industrial and agricultural tariffs.
Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen said in this round of talks, Vietnam and the US made a significant step towards the country’s goal of joining the WTO.
“The two sides have expressed remarkable efforts to narrow the differences and have recorded a significant step in this process,” Tuyen said.
“There aren’t many differences left, but the final stage of the negotiation process is always the hardest one to reach a deal.”
Regarding the remaining differences over tariffs, services and multilateral trade, Tuyen said Vietnam was seeking to reach a compromise through packaged commitments rather than issue-by-issue commitments.
At the press conference held on the final day of the US delegation’s working trip to Vietnam, Dorothy Dwoskin, the assistant to the US trade representative, said the distance between the two countries, if it had been 20 centimetres before, had dropped to 2 centimetres.
“Both sides worked very hard to narrow remaining differences. We are pleased with our progress and believe the meeting this week has injected new momentum and energy into the negotiation,” Dwoskin said.
Vietnamese and US representatives both expressed determination to accelerate talk proceedings in the future as constructively as possible.
“We will try our best to maintain the progress we have made in this round and gain momentum for the following talks, which is expected to be in the soonest time possible,” said Tuyen.
Dwoskin told local reporters that the countries made a specific plan to carry the two sides toward conclusion of the negotiations.
“We are planning to schedule another round of detailed bilateral negotiations in several weeks. I hope that we can meet again before the end of March,” said Dwoskin.
Dwoskin, the head of the US’ 12-member negotiation delegation, reaffirmed her country’s strong will regarding the “common goal of seeing Vietnam become a member of the world trade body as soon as possible”.
“We brought a large team of senior experts to Vietnam as early as possible this year, which reflects the US’ commitment to move the process forward and get to the finish line as quickly as possible,” she said.
Dwoskin also hailed Vietnam for its efforts to meet conditions for WTO membership.
“We are particularly encouraged by the hard work of the National Assembly to pass much of the legislation needed for Vietnam to join the rules-based system of the WTO and are reviewing this legislation carefully,” she said.


No. 745-746/January 23-February 5, 2006