Vietnamese, U.S. presidents agree to foster bilateral ties

U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday reiterated his support for Congressional approval at an earliest time of his country's Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Vietnam.

The visiting U.S. president said this when meeting with Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet. A bill on the PNTR was voted down at the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week.

The U.S.-Vietnam relationship is multi-faceted and forward looking, said a joint statement between the two countries issued after the two leaders' talks.

The two leaders reiterated their efforts to ensure that bilateral relations are stable, constructive, broad-based, and conducted on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

The two presidents also discussed the growing cooperation between the two countries to address regional and global concerns, the statement said.

They pledged to increase cooperation to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related technology and materials in accordance with international and national laws and each country's capacities.

The two presidents also discussed the cooperation on the health issue and agreed to further strengthen cooperation on combating bird flu and HIV/AIDS, and the settlement of environmental contamination near former dioxin storage sites.

They expressed satisfaction with progress on resolving outstanding issues from the Vietnam War, and agreed that the two sides would continue cooperation in this respect.

Triet reaffirmed his government's continued efforts to assist the United States to ensure the fullest possible accounting for Americans who remain missing in action, through both joint and enhanced unilateral actions.

Bush invited Triet to visit the United States in 2007, and the Vietnamese president accepted the invitation, said the statement.

Bush arrived in Vietnam on Friday for a four-day official visit to the country. He will also attend the 14th APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders' Meeting on Saturday and Sunday.

Source: Xinhua