Washington D.C., April 10 -- The US has agreed to begin negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement with Vietnam, as proposed by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc at his meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on April 9.

Phoc, who is paying a visit to the US in his capacity as special envoy of Party General Secretary To Lam, affirmed that Vietnam wishes to further strengthen and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US.

He thanked the US Government for consistently supporting a "strong, independent, self-resilient, and prosperous" Vietnam, stressing Vietnam remains steadfast in building an independent and self-reliant economy, and in pursuing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, a...