WASHINGTON (AFP) — President George W. Bush will welcome Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the White House next week, a US spokesman said Tuesday.
"Bush will welcome Prime Minister Dung of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the White House on June 24, 2008," according to a White House statement.
The US president "welcomes the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Dung about ways to advance our close bilateral cooperation on a broad range of issues, including ASEAN, the United Nations Security Council, education, energy and climate change, food security, and regional economic integration," it added.
"The US-Vietnam relationship is grounded in the shared commitment to a strong trade relationship, regional security and prosperity, and health and education cooperation," the statement stressed, noting that Bush also will "take this opportunity to highlight the importance he attaches to respect for human rights and the freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly."
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