    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [June 24, 2008]
    [Pages 864-865]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam
    June 24, 2008

        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 in 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, and 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 and
    the region. We talked about the freedoms--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. 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, mutual
    respect, and mutual benefit. We agreed with each other on a wide range
    of issues, which will be fully reflected in our adjoined 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's 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 the 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

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    sovereignty, diversification and multilateralization of our external
    relations. Vietnam wants to be friends with all country and trusted
    partners with all nations and nationalities in the international
    community. And along that line, with--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.
        President Bush. Thank you. Yes, sir.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:53 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. Prime Minister Dung spoke in Vietnamese, and his remarks were
    translated by an interpreter.