VOVNews brings you an excerpt from the interview hosted by CNN senior anchorman Woff Blitzer.

CNN: Thank you very much for joining us. Welcome to the US. Let’s start with your meeting with President George W. Bush. Were you satisfied with the conversations you had with the US President?

Mr Triet: I was very satisfied with the meeting with President Bush. We had exchanged views with Mr Bush on many issues of interest to both sides in the spirit of mutual understanding.

CNN: What is the most important part of the relationship between your country and the US right now?

Mr Triet: The most important part of our relationship is to further develop our friendship and cooperation.

CNN: There seems to be though one impediment, one major problem in bilateral ties. That is human rights issues. President Bush said he raised that issue with you today. How did that part of the conversation go?

Mr Triet: We did have a direct and open exchange of views on this matter. I think that the US and Vietnam have different histories and legal systems and that’s why we have different perceptions on different things.

CNN: Did president Bush raise any specific cases of human right violations with you?

Mr Triet: He agreed that we would only exchange views, but did not deal with a specific issue.

CNN: I asked that specific question because at a June 5 conference on democracy in France, President Bush did mention the Vietnamese case of Nguyen Van Ly who is included in the group with others whose human rights have been violated around the world.

Mr Triet: We brought him to court since he had violated the law, not because of the religious issue. The trial received approval from the Vietnam Episcopal Council and the Vatican.  

CNN: I want to show you a picture (of Nguyen Van Ly) that has been seen around the world and has cause a lot of concern, especially here in the US. Were you probably familiar with the picture?

Mr Triet: As far as I know, during the trial, Nguyen Van Ly uttered dirty words, even curses against the court. Covering somebody’s mouth like that was a mistake made by an official there. It was not the policy of the Vietnamese State.

CNN: I want to move on another subject, dissidents. On the eve of your visit, you released two prisoners. Do you think that others will be released any time soon? 

Mr Triet: Lawbreakers are tried according to the law, but releasing them depends on their attitude towards what they have done. I would like to tell you that Vietnam has experienced long years of war and during that period Vietnamese people did not fully enjoy human rights. Many of us were arrested, imprisoned and tortured without trial. We conducted the liberation war to gain back our lost human rights. Therefore, more than anybody else, we love human rights and you cannot fully understand our love.

CNN: I do not know if you’re aware that outside the White House there were demonstrations of several Vietnamese Americans. I wonder if you have any message to the Vietnamese American community who remain very fiercely proud of the Vietnamese heritage but also would like to see the situation in Vietnam improve?

Mr Triet: Vietnamese living abroad in general and in the US in particular are an indispensable part of the Vietnamese nation. They are the blood and flesh of Vietnam. The Vietnamese State wants to see them succeed in the US and serve as a bridge between the US and Vietnam. Despite their different points of view, it is better to meet and exchange with them for a common solution. We have invited them to come back to Vietnam to see with their own eyes our changes and our improvements.

CNN: Another question about Americans unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. According to the US Department of Defence, 483 troops in the north and 882 others in the south (or 1,365 in total) were still unaccounted for. I know this issue came up during your meeting with President Bush. I wonder if you have any information about MIA issues in Vietnam.

Mr Triet: In the past years, Vietnam has actively cooperated with the US in the MIA-related issues. This is a humanitarian issue and Vietnam will continue to cooperate with the US in solving this issue.

CNN: But as the President of Vietnam, can you assure the Americans that your government is doing everything possible to find out what happened to these American troops?

Mr Triet: Absolutely 100 percent. The Government of Vietnam has been doing all it can to help the US in the search for Americans missing in action while many Vietnamese also remain nowhere to be found.

CNN: Another issue during your meeting with President Bush that involves the sensitive issue: Agent Orange. US Congress recently approved funds to deal with the fallouts from the very deadly toxin that was used during the war. Are you satisfied with what the US is doing now to deal with the remnant of Agent Orange with Vietnam?

Mr Triet: I was grateful for the efforts made by President Bush and Congress in support of Agent Orange/dioxin victims. At the meeting I expressed my thanks to President Bush. However, in fact, many AO victims are still leading difficult lives. We hope the President and Congress will make greater efforts to help those victims and detoxicate the affected areas.

CNN: Does your government right now have a better relationship with the US Government or the Chinese government?

Mr Triet: It is very difficult to draw a comparison. Vietnam embarks on the external policy of independence and self-reliance, and befriending all countries. We want to be a reliable partner of all countries. China is a neighbouring country with traditional relations with Vietnam. Both China and Vietnam would like to enhance cooperation for development. Cooperative relations between Vietnam and China would not adversary affect our relations with other countries. And we would like to see an increase in our friendship and cooperation with the US.

CNN: So you want to have good relations with the US and China. I hear it is a very diplomatic answer.

Mr Triet: It is not a diplomatic answer at all. It is our true desire.

Mr Triet: Now President, did you ever think during the war you would be the president of Vietnam and you would come to the US and would be warmly received by the President of the US at the White House?

Mr Triet: I never thought of that. Even after the war, as an ordinary citizen, I wouldn’t have thought of having a chance to visit the US. That’s why my visit to the US is historic. President Bush and I had a good exchange of views on how to further enhance our relations. And both President Bush and I were satisfied with our meeting.

CNN: While meeting with President Bush, did you sometimes close your eyes and imagine that this was not a dream?