DECISION No.116/1998/QD-TTg OF JULY 8, 1998 ON SETTING UP THE GOVERNMENT DELEGATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to Article 20 of the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Decision No.31/1998/QD-TTg of February 10, 1998 of the Prime Minister on the establishment of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation;

At the proposals of the Chairman of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation and the Minister-Chairman of the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To set up the Government Delegation for international economic and trade negotiations (the Government Delegation for Negotiations for short) in order to prepare and conduct negotiations on Vietnam's joining and operation in the World Trade Organization (WTO); and negotiations on a trade agreement with the US Government.

Article 2.- The Government Delegation for Negotiations shall have the following tasks:

1. To assume the prime responsibility in summing up and elaborating strategies and plans for negotiations on Vietnam's joining WTO as well as plans for negotiations on the Vietnam-US Trade Agreement; submit them to the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation for consideration and comments then reporting to the Prime Minister for ratification before official negotiations start. Such strategies and plans shall also serve as basis for the ministries and branches to elaborate their own negotiation plans.

2. To conduct negotiations at different levels and in different areas within the WTO framework and negotiations on a trade agreement with the US, on the basis of the negotiation strategies and plans already ratified by the Prime Minister.

3. To cooperate with the concerned ministries and branches in order to coordinate specialized activities, with a view to meeting the negotiation requirements and materializing the negotiation results after they have been considered and approved by the Prime Minister.

4. To perform other tasks assigned by the Prime Minister.

Article 3.-

1. The Government Delegation for Negotiations is composed of a head, a number of deputy heads and members.

The head shall be a Vice-Minister of Trade, who is also the General Secretary of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, to be appointed by the Prime Minister.

The deputy heads shall be the department-level officials representing the ministries and branches directly involved in the negotiation areas and contents, to be appointed or dismissed by the Chairman of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation at the proposal of the General Secretary of this Committee.

2. The members of the Government Delegation for Negotiations include the department-level representatives of: the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Government's Office, the State Bank of Vietnam, the General Department of Customs and the General Tourism Department.

Members of the Government Delegation for Negotiations shall be recommended by the above-said ministries and branches and accepted by the Chairman of the National Committee, so that they may undertake specialized duties in the Government Delegation for Negotiations.

3. The concerned ministries and branches shall have to appoint capable cadres to act as their coordinators and representatives in the Government Delegation for Negotiations.

Article 4.- The head of the Government Delegation for international economic and trade negotiations shall have the following tasks and powers:

1. To submit to the personal direction of the Prime Minister, the Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation in preparing and conducting negotiations.

2. To run the activities of the Government Delegation for Negotiations in summing up and elaborating negotiation strategies and plans; preparing and conducting negotiations at different levels and in different areas within the WTO framework and the Vietnam-US Trade Agreement, on the basis of the negotiation strategies and plans already ratified by the Prime Minister.

3. Basing him/herself on the concrete negotiation tasks and contents in each period, the head of the Government Delegation for Negotiations shall be entitled to propose the concerned ministries and branches to replace their representatives in the Government Delegation for Negotiations.

4. To be entitled to use the apparatus of the Office of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation in dealing with common affairs of the Government Delegation for Negotiations.

Article 5.- The fund for operation of the Government Delegation for Negotiations shall be included in the common fund for operations of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation.

Article 6.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing and replaces Decision No.296/TTg of May 7, 1997 of the Prime Minister on setting up the Government Delegation for Negotiations on Vietnam's Joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Article 7.- The chairman of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government, the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, the head of the Government Delegation for international economic and trade negotiations shall have to implement this Decision.

Prime Minister

PHAN VAN KHAI