The United States and Vietnam have narrowed differences regarding their bilateral negotiations about the latter's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO), head of the U.S. negotiation team said here Wednesday.

"Both sides worked very hard to narrow remaining differences. We were pleased with our progress and believe the meetings this week have injected new momentum and energy into the negotiations," Dorothy Dwoskin, the delegation's head and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for WTO and Multilateral Affairs, said at a press briefing after the 3-day bilateral negotiations concluded in Hanoi capital on Wednesday.

Dwoskin said the U.S. delegation's goals at the 10th round were to capitalize on the progress that the two sides have been making together on both the bilateral market access negotiations on industrial and agricultural tariffs and services, and the multilateral issues regarding WTO rules.

"We have made progress across all areas and have a specific work plan to carry us forward toward conclusion of this important bilateral negotiation," she said, noting that the United States and Vietnam have narrowed differences in a wide range of spheres, including telecommunications.

Dwoskin said she hoped the two sides will meet again for further negotiations before the end of March, and "can make a lot of progress this year, meeting their common goal of seeing Vietnam become a member of the WTO as soon as possible."

"We are committed to completing our bilateral negotiations and continuing to provide leadership in resolving multilateral issues, such as subsidies, trading rights, intellectual property rights protection, and the commercial activities of state-owned enterprises," she said, noting that WTO membership will offer new trade and investment opportunities for both Vietnamese and U.S. businesses."

Before the 10th round started, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry stated that the differences still remain on the negotiation table, but "mainly in the fields of goods, services, banking, posts and telecommunications."

Vietnam is expected to finish few remaining bilateral talks on its WTO accession, including those with three key partners, namely the United States, New Zealand and Australia, within this year.

Last week, Christopher Hill, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said at a press briefing in Hanoi that with efforts of both sides, the United States and Vietnam will reach conclusion on their bilateral negotiations soon, so that "by the end of the year (2006), we can welcome Vietnam's accession to the WTO."

Source: Xinhua