Vietnam welcomes the signing on Dec. 20 of a legislation by U.S. President George W. Bush to establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Vietnam, "marking full normalization of bilateral relations," a Vietnamese spokesman said Thursday.

The decision conforms with recent positive progress in Vietnam- U.S. relationship, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said.

The "PNTR status will establish a sustainable foundation for the development of bilateral relations in all fields, particularly economic, trade and investment relations," he said.

From now on, Vietnam and the United States are equal trading partners, applying mutual commitments made by the other side within the World Trade Organization framework.

Vietnam hopes that its ties with the United States will be further strengthened and developed, thus contributing to moving the ties to constructive partnership, friendship and multi-faceted cooperation on the basis of equality, non-intervention into each other's internal affairs, mutual respect and benefit, he said.

Source: Xinhua