A delegation of US congressmen will visit Vietnam on May 27 to gather information on East Sea issues in order to form a policy of cooperation, one official said.

 
Tran Van Hang, Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for External Relations talking to the press

Tran Van Hang, Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for External Relations, said that the congressmen will come on a fact-finding mission to learn more about recent events in the East Sea and to review the implementation of Vietnam’s constitution, especially concerning the issue of human rights.

“Recently the US has shown support towards Vietnam on East Sea issues, with the involvement of the members of the House of Representatives and a group of six senators. Vietnam will take advantage of this opportunity to give details about incidents that have occurred since China illegally installed their oil rig in Vietnamese waters," said Hang.

Concerning the human rights issue, Hang said that the two sides need to hold more dialogues in order to come to an agreement which would bridge the gap between US and Vietnamese understanding.

The US still has an embargo on the sales of weapons to Vietnam. "The two sides have signed agreements on the trade of weapons as well as aid in the development of peaceful nuclear power. A bilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is expected to be signed in the near future. As the two sides have made efforts towards closer relations, I see no reason that the US Congress would continue its ban on the sales of weapons to Vietnam. The delegation of US Congressmen will meet with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to discuss the issue.”

According to Hang, two liaison officers from Vietnam will begin assignments as part of a UN mission in South Sudan beginning in June. This is the first time Vietnam has sent troops to the mission.

"Because Vietnam is a member of the UN, our participation in the mission is an important element in upholding our responsibilities to the international body,” he added.