The US business community has expressed its high appreciation of thecomprehensive measures the Vietnamese Government has been taking toensure the legitimate rights and interests of foreign institutions,enterprises and individuals in Vietnam, as well as the absolute safetyand security of staff and property.

They declared themselvesencouraged by the return to normality in Vietnam following socialdisturbances in May, with most production and business activities nowresumed.

Their appreciation was made clear at the annual meetingof the Board of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT) onJune 11.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to theUS, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, welcomed the progress made during the lastmeeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) chief negotiators in Ho ChiMinh City and the subsequent meeting of TPP Ministers in Singapore.

Hesaid he believes there is much work to be done, especially with theissue of market access. He urged the US business community to continueto support the early conclusion of a strong and well-balanced TPPagreement.

Ambassador Cuong also took time to brief the group ofthe current escalation of tensions in the East Sea as a result ofChina’s unilateral and illegal action of placing its oil-rig deep insideVietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf since early Mayand the aggressive behaviour of Chinese ships, including militaryvessels in the area.

Members of the business group expresseddeep concern over the situation, that might lead to the disruption ofcommerce and trade, and hoped that all sides would exercise constraintand take necessary steps to de-escalate the tension.

Participantsof the ECAT Board annual meeting are representatives of prominent USbusinesses such as General Electric, General Motors, Chrysler,Goldman Sachs, Citi, Target and Hanesbrands.-VNA