Pham Gia Khiemhas, 64,  a PhD from Czechslovakia in Metallurgy, taught Mechanical Engineering and “electrics” at University level, before entering public life.

He made significant contributions in developing science and technology in Vietnam and eventually became head of the Department of Science, Education and Environment. October 1997, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister in charge of Science and Technology till July 2006, when he became Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, eventually taking over also the Foreign Ministry. His foreign languages are Czech and English.

The event at the Asia Society came about because of Vietnam moving on to become an important US trading partner and Asia Society intends to have a large conference in Hanoi, in 2009.

Today, Vietnam’s growth is 6% and they are applying for WTO membership. This year they are a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and they would like to emulate the China model of economic development. Nevertheless, while in the US the Vietnamese met also Allan Greenspan. Their intent is to build a capitalistic economy with a socialist distribution.

Inflation was 7% in 2007, increased to 16% in 2008 and is expected to reach 20% by the end of the year - this is the price they pay for rapid development. They want to work on reducing inflation by tightening expenditures and asking the people to join the government in tightening expenditures - this tu curb the deficit. It was 3% in the first quarter - increased to 5% and now they expect to bring it back to 3% per month. This while foreign investments increase “exponentially.”

Labor strikes? - Yes. The reasons demand for larger pay, decreasing working hours, “equal pay - for equal hours.”

To the question if they want to be a new China and what they want to do differently? He Answered that China was very good with liberal investment policies but do not delegate to lower levels. Vietnam learned to decentralize by delegating authority to lower levels in economic issues. This so they have even freer relations with investors. There are environmental problems and we take measures in this respect.

Asked about the US elections he said that he hopes work will continue with developing nations and that more technological assistance will be forthcoming.Relations on the base of mutual respect. McCain was shot down in Vietnam - but we forget the past and look to the future.

He spoke of freedom of religion in Vietnam, the X5 increase of tourism, with 5-6 million tourists in the near future - from the present 4 million/year. On the relation with the US, he was reminded by a question that Budha says - “If you do not fight among yourselves you will not get to know each others.

On the nuclear issue - he said Vietnam is against nuclear weapons but wants nuclear power.

He is very much interested in ASEAN and sees in it a turning point for his region - he wants to see it strengthened by 2015, rather te 2020, and he wants to see Vietnam become a more active member. He wants to stabilize the Vietnamese population by a two children family. Vietnam is the only country in Asia that got the World Population Gold designation for its policies.

Asked to describe the Vietnam of 2050, he said this is not easy as they move from a planned economy to a fully market economy as per a 1986 decision.