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President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Dung of Vietnam
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 24, 2008

President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Dung of Vietnam Oval Office

ÿÿWhite House News


1:53 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the Oval Office. I fondly
remember my trip to your country. I remember the wonderful hospitality that
you and your government gave to Laura and me. I remember the thousands of
people lining the street of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and it was just a
memorable trip. So it's my honor to welcome you back here.

We had a good dialogue. We talked about economic cooperation. We talked
about educational cooperation. We talked about the need to work together on
the environment. I thanked the Prime Minister for his work on accounting
for the POWs and MIAs. We discussed the neighborhood, the region. We talked
about freedom -- religious and political freedom, and I told the Prime
Minister that I thought the strides that the government is making toward
religious freedom is noteworthy. And I appreciated the efforts that he and
his government are making.

All in all, we had a very good discussion. Our relationship with Vietnam is
getting closer, in a spirit of respect. And I thank you for coming to help
make that relationship even stronger. Welcome.

PRIME MINISTER DUNG: (As translated.) Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to thank you, Mr. President and American friends, for your
warm hospitality.

I would like to tell you that Mr. President and I have just had successful
talks in a friendly, constructive and understanding spirit. And we took
note with great pleasure of rapid development in the Vietnam-U.S.
relationship toward a friendly and constructive partnership, multifaceted
cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect and mutual benefit.
We agreed with each other on a wide range of issues, which will be fully
reflected in our joint statement.

And now I would like to give you some highlights of our conversation. Mr.
President and I agreed to establish a new dialogue mechanism at the senior
level on the strategic matters of economics, education, environment,
science, defense and security. And President Bush reiterated his support
for Vietnam sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

We agreed to establish a high-level education task force to effectively
advance the education cooperation between our two countries. The two sides
also agreed to set up a new subcommittee to assist Vietnam in conducting
researches to respond to the climate change and the rising sea level.

And President Bush reaffirmed that U.S. is actively reviewing Vietnam's
request to join the GSP program, and acknowledged Vietnam's request to be
accorded the market economy status. The U.S. is also considering the import
of fruits from Vietnam. Also, the two sides agreed to commence negotiations
on a bilateral investment treaty.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation to address humanitarian
issues left over by the war, such as the American MIA issue, mine-clearing,
remediation of the Agent Orange consequences, the Vietnamese MIA issue.

Ladies and gentlemen, my visit to the U.S. this time is the follow-up of
the foreign policy of independence and sovereignty, diversification and
multilateralization of our external relations. Vietnam wants to be friends
with all countries and trusted partners with all nations and nationalities
in the international community, and along that line, Vietnam will continue
to strengthen the fine relationship between Vietnam and the United States
under the framework defined by the two countries' leaders.

I hope that with the fruitful outcome of my visit the Vietnam-U.S.
relationship will be elevated to new heights in the interest of both
peoples, of peace, stability, and development cooperation in the region and
the world.

Thank you, Mr. President.

END 2:03 P.M. EDT
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