Transcript: Interview with Phan Van Khai

TWP: There are at least 1.5 million overseas Vietnamese in the United States. Many have returned to Vietnam to visit or do business. Yet some, especially among the older generation, harbor a lingering distrust. Some are planning demonstrations demanding freedom and democracy and an end to corruption. What would you say to the community of overseas Vietnamese about the climate of economic opportunity, and social and political freedoms in Vietnam today?

Khai: I think the Vietnamese community in the world in general and in the U.S. in particular, they all see clearly the economic achievements in Vietnam in the last 10 years. I think in their eyes now Vietnam is a peaceful stable safe and reformed country. Vietnam is also in the process of rapid development in the region and in the world. Vietnam would like to be a friend and a partner of all countries in the world. For all those who have come to Vietnam, whether high level leaders or tourists, they have all recognized these achievements.

There is a small group who due to their past still have an outdated and prejudiced view of Vietnam, we would like you through your newspaper to convey a message to the Vietnamese community in the United States, for our compatriots living overseas, that they are an integral part of our nation and a very important resource for our country. It is our consistent policy to further strengthen national unity, to achieve the goal of an independent nation, which is to be a democratic and civilized society. That is the [inaudible] we would like to uphold without any discrimination to the past, to the political opinions.

For those who could understand and recognize this policy, they will have a worthy position in Vietnam. I would like also to emphasize again that Vietnam has a very different condition from other countries who have undergone 30 years of war. From that background you might see that some stood on that side, some on the other side, even in one family. A lot of suffering has been put on the Vietnamese people. That's why we would like to put behind us the past and look forward to the future.

You may say that during the war, Vietnam and the United States were opponents. Now that 30 years has elapsed since the end of the war, it is our policy to put aside the past and look forward to the future and a better relationship of the two countries. That is in the best interests of our nation.

TWP: In the lead-up to next year's 10th party congress, a debate is occurring within the political leadership about the pace and scope of reforms. Analysts put you in the modernizers' camp, which believes turning globalization to Vietnam's advantage. How important is the outcome of your trip to strengthening the reformers' position? How confident are you that the modernizers will prevail?

Khai: Important documents are now being prepared for the 10th party congress. It is now being discussed within the Politburo today and in the next three days. Review is being made about the past 10 years of reform. The most important thing is that we will continue with the reform process because that would be the most important factor in the great success of the last 10 years. With the reform, we will be able to bring into full play the strength of the entire nation, to maximize internal resources while making best use of external resources.

We need to further improve the market institutions that have been put in place in the last 10 years. I am sure in the next period we will see the strongest scope of reforms to achieve national industrialization and modernization.

And we will also continue to pursue the foreign policy of independence, sovereignty, diversification and multilateralization of our external relations and Vietnam will be the friend and reliable partner of all countries in the international community.

Thanks to the great successes in our foreign policy, Vietnam's position has been enhanced in the foreign arena. With the achievements in domestic policy and in foreign policy, it is the best timing for our visit to the states.

TWP: Does this trip have the potential to give momentum to your reforms?

Khai: The reform policy was launched quite a long time ago and we will continue with reforms. My visit to the United States is to promote the relationship between the two countries to a higher plane. We would like to build a framework of a friendly, constructive and long-term partnership between the two countries. Based on the new situation, we will also develop the new reform policy to be suitable to the new situation. I don't think that the visit will bring added momentum to the in-country reform. But in order to meet the interests of the country and our own need, we are required to accelerate reform. The visit to the United States this time is also a way to implement our foreign policy. We would like to further enhance the relationship.