Vietnam Selected as the US Trade and Development Agency’s “2006 Country of the Year”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – US Trade Development Agency Director Thelma J. Askey will present His Excellency Nguyen Tam Chien, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United States, with the Agency’s 2006 Country of the Year Award in Washington D.C. on Thursday, January 11, 2007. The event marks the occasion of Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The U.S. Trade Development Agency (USTDA) has applauded the emergence of Vietnam as an important economic participant in Southeast Asia, and the role this has played in strengthening the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. In 2006, the agency substantially expanded its cooperation with Vietnam by providing assistance for activities designed to meet priorities established in the APEC forum, Vietnam’s WTO accession negotiations, and its efforts to obtain permanent normal trade relations with the United States. USTDA has also worked actively with Vietnam in the aviation and financial services sectors in response to Vietnam’s substantial growth and the government’s desire to meet international standards, promote market-oriented reform, and increase transparency.
Since USTDA’s program was launched in Vietnam in 1996, the agency has funded 36 activities and 18 orientation visits designed to support priority development projects and procurement opportunities in Vietnam. To date, those activities and visits have been associated with $210.5 million in U.S. exports in the transportation, energy, services, water and human resource sectors.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and commercial activities in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.
Source: USTDA Press Release – January 11, 2007
