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Two Presidents
While the protests continued outside the White House, Presidents Bush and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet made brief comments to the press after their Oval Office meeting and before their lunch in the old family dining room.
Bush sandwiched a human rights comment in with happy talk about his recent trip to Vietnam and the burgeoning trade relations between the two nations. The two presidents had engaged in the proverbial “frank and candid discussion,” said the American one.
“I also made it very clear that in order for relations to grow deeper that it’s important for our friends to have a strong commitment to human rights and freedom and democracy,” Bush said. “I explained my strong belief that societies are enriched when people are allowed to express themselves freely or worship freely.”
Said Triet, through a translator: “Mr. President and I also had direct and open exchange of views on a matter that we may (differ), especially on matters related to religion and human rights. And our approach is that we would increase our dialogue in order to have a better understanding of each other. And we are also determined not to let those differences afflict our overall, larger interest.”
And he wants Americans to know that Vietnam is “a stable, peaceful and friendly country.”
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