Vietnamese PM concludes American tour

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai is due to conclude on Saturday his week-long visit to the United States, which has been the first since the end of Vietnam War in 1975.

During the visit, Phan Van Khai had talks with US President George W. Bush and his top aides. He had meetings with a number of leaders of manufacturer giants, and visited Harvard University andthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During his talks with Phan Van Khai, Bush pledged strong support for Vietnam's entry into the World Trade Organization.

The 200-strong Vietnamese delegation also signed a military agreement with the Pentagon under which US military specialists will return to Vietnam to train Vietnamese soldiers.

Two large contracts worth 35 million US dollars were signed between Vietnamese and American companies.

Since Vietnam and the United States restored diplomatic links, bilateral trade has rocketed to 6.4 billion US dollars in 2004.

Phan Van Khai is scheduled for a visit to Canada after his departure from the United States later in the day.

Source: Xinhua