Speaking to more than 300 Vietnamese and US businesses, the Vietnamese leader stressed that his talk with US President George Bush opened up new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, particularly in economics, trade and investment. He called on enterprises from both countries to make full use of opportunities to exchange information and expand business cooperation in the interests their businesses and the friendship between the two countries.

Leaving the US-Vietnam Business Forum, President Triet met with representatives of 20 major economic groups from California which is the biggest state in the US in terms of population and economic potential.

The Vietnamese leader stated that California is an important and strategic area for Vietnam in terms of trade, financial investment, science technology, tourism and security. The broadening relationship between Vietnam and California has helped American firms better do business in Vietnam.

More than half of Vietnam’s total export goods to the US are shipped through ports in California. Moreover, half of 1.5 million overseas Vietnamese people in the US are living in California. Many of them are maintaining close ties with the homeland and willing to contribute to developing cooperation between US businesses in California and Vietnamese firms.

President Triet also expressed his desire to build the Vietnam-California cooperative relationship into a “model” in the new period of development between the two countries. He expressed his wish that US businesses in general and California businesses in particular would play a key role in building the Vietnam-US cooperative relationship.

At the meeting, President Triet answered some questions from US economic groups in California relating to infrastructure development, investment policy and public administration reform.

Also on June 23, President Nguyen Minh Triet met with the Speaker of the California State Assembly, the President of the California State Senate, and mayors of some cities of the state. President Triet said that Vietnam attached special importance to its relationship with California, particularly with Los Angeles city. Relationship between Los Angeles Port and Sai Gon Port is the first between Vietnamese and US ports and also between Los Angeles and a Southeast Asian port.

The President also expressed hope that Californian authorities will continue to create favourable conditions for the overseas Vietnamese community in the state to further develop.

At noon, President Triet visited the family of Nguyen Minh Tien, an overseas Vietnamese, in Orange County, California.

At 14.00 on June 23 (Los Angeles time), President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife left Los Angeles for Hanoi, successfully concluding his official visit to the US.