REDACTED ON DRV POLICY TOWRDS OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS AND THE UNITED STAT

Created: 6/21/1976

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

assistant foreign ministerD that he is OPTIhISTIC

that relations NlTh. mill improve afte*.

elections. he said that one main obstacle to the

improvement Or relations is the american insistence FOR more

information on men missing in actionE explained that

. does not realise the MAJOR efforts the lbv has made

thus far in this regard. or the difficulties involved in

obtaining this sort of information. diEN said the drv expects

some sort of small gesture from. to pave the hay FOR a

ruRTHER basing of tensions by responding positively to drv

Er'orts to locate american mia's. dien added That vietnam is

in favor Or improving economic and diplomatic relations with the

and THAT vietnam views.AJOR trading partner

in the ruTURE. dien specifically mentioned vietnam's immediate

need for american spare parts and petroleum technology. but

added that vietnam ove ahead with or. assistance.

ALTHOUGH NONE OF THE OFFICIALS WOULD ENUMERATE THE CONCESSIONS THAT DRV MIGHT RE WILLING TO MAKE* THEY ALL INDICATED THAT THE

U.S. WOULD PROFIT FROM IMPROVED RELATION*.)

DIEN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THAILAND tS CONTINGENT UPON THE REMOVAL. MILITARY BASES. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE PHILIPPINES. HE EXPLAINED THAT VIETNAM" DOES NOT REGARD THE PHILIPPINES AS HOSTILE TO VIETNAM. AND THE PRESENCE OF AMERICANOULD NOT INHIBIT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WETWfeEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. DIEN STATED THAT VIETNAM HAS NO MILITARY DESIGNS UPON ITS NEIGHBORS. AND EXPLAINED THAT THAILAND IS USING THE POSSIBLE THREAT FROM VIET Mil as an EXCuSE TO DRAW ATTENTION AWAY FROM ITS OWN INTERNAL PROBLEMS. AID THE PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM IN THAILAND IS AT FAULT. AND THAT SYSTEM MUST BE CMANOED IN ORDER TO BRING IMPROVEMENT IN THE COUNTRY,

WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHIKA AND VIETNAM OVER THE1SLANDS. DIEN SR.USHED* THE QUESTION ASIDE AS BEING UN IMPORTANT. HE SAID THE PRESS HAS" BlOWN

, THE PROBLEM OUT OF PROPORTION AND THAT THE DRVNO MORE

PUBLICITY CONCERNING THE AFfAIfi, Hfi TERMED THE PROBLEM as "ONF

betweennd denied that orv relations with the prc have deteriorated badly.

the idea of vietnam joining with countries such as thailand and inoonesiaoutheast asian collective securf* is ridiculojsJ

vietnamese army is not being demobilized, he replied that it is being demobilizedertain extent, but that the event is not being publicized, he said the first to be released from

the AhMV R c ThE aged tbqcps and

demobilization

figures to support his statement,)

Original document.

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