Vietnam's APEC membership hailed<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Kyodo): A senior U.S. official said she supports
\nVietnam joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
\nforum in November 1996 -- the next time new membership will be
\nconsidered.<\/p>\n
"Completely on a personal note, I think that Vietnam would be
\nthe next natural addition and that would be a strong step toward
\nintegrating it into Southeast Asia," Sandra Kristoff, coordinator
\nfor APEC at the State Department, told a Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies forum Thursday.<\/p>\n
President Bill Clinton announced Tuesday the normalization of
\ndiplomatic relations with Vietnam 20 years after the end of the
\nVietnam War.<\/p>\n
Against this backdrop, Kristoff said the issue of Vietnam's
\nmembership "has just begun and will have to be looked at, not
\nonly by APEC members, but within the U.S. government in terms of
\nour systematic approach to enhancing one by one ties with
\nVietnam."<\/p>\n
But she said it will not become the main agenda during the
\nannual APEC meetings in November in Osaka.<\/p>\n
"Ministers won't be confined with that decision until Manila
\n(APEC meetings) in November of 1996," Kristoff said, noting, "So
\nI may expect to see Vietnam debated much for next year."<\/p>\n
"We have asked...senior officials to produce some papers...to
\nlay out criteria and evaluate new members," she said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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