VIETNAM'S NEW PRESIDENT ON THURSDAY SAID HE WILL PUSH FOR CLOSER RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA, SIGNALING THE LEADER FROM THE COMMERCIAL SOUTH IS READY TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN A POSITION THAT HAS LARGELY BEEN CEREMONIAL, AP REPORTED. «WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AS WELL AS PRESIDENT HU JINTAO, WE WILL DISCUSS (MEASURES) TO STRENGTHEN BILATERAL RELATIONS AND MAKE THE RELATIONS INCREASINGLY CLOSER FOR MUTUAL DEVELOPMENT,» PRESIDENT NGUYEN MINH TRIET TOLD REPORTERS. LEGISLATORS ON TUESDAY ELECTED TRIET, 63, THE COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF FOR THE SOUTHERN COMMERCIAL HUB OF HO CHI MINH CITY, AS THE NEW PRESIDENT. HE IS KNOWN AS AN ECONOMIC REFORMER AND HAS A REPUTATION FOR FIGHTING CORRUPTION. TRIET SAID HIS FIRST CHALLENGE WOULD COME IN NOVEMBER WHEN VIETNAM HOSTS THE 21-MEMBER ASIA PACIFIC COOPERATION SUMMIT IN HANOI. U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND ALONG WITH MANY OTHER HIGH-PROFILE LEADERS. HE SAID ONCE VIETNAM ENTERS THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION _ EXPECTED LATER THIS YEAR _ THE COUNTRY WOULD BE FORCED TO WORK HARDER TO COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY. «VIETNAM HAS A DESIRE TO INTEGRATE INTO THE WORLD ECONOMY. JOINING THE WTO THEREFORE IS VERY ESSENTIAL AND WE, AT THE SAME TIME, UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL BE A VERY MAJOR CHALLENGE,» TRIET SAID.
