Vietnam’s Olympic team would come to Atlanta for the 1996 Games whether President Clinton had extended full diplomatic relations to the country last week or not, but the move is expected to improve its commercial relations with the U.S. and provide additional reasons for local business people to become acquainted with the visiting team and officials.
As U.S. ATTACH… to Vietnam’s official Olympic committee, Atlanta attorney Kenneth A. Cutshaw praised the President’s decision, saying that he fully supported normalization of relations and that he saw no reason for the U.S. business community to be penalized in Vietnam because of “historical events.”
A 19-year U.S. embargo on trade with Vietnam placed U.S. firms at a competitive disadvantage to companies from other countries already active there by the time that the embargo was lifted last year. The
new diplomatic relations are expected to prompt bi-lateral trade, investment and tax treaties to further encourage business.
Mr. Cutshaw met in May with Ly Gia Thanh, assistant secretary-general of the Vietnam Olympic committee and plans to visit with Ha Quang Du, the minister of sports and youth, during a visit in January.
Vietnam will send some 20 athletes to compete in a range of sports including track and field, swimming, judo and shooting. The team will reside at the Olympic Village and accompanying officials will have accommodations at local hotels.
For further information about the arrangements being made to host the Vietnamese Olympic team, Mr. Cutshaw may be reached at Smith, Gambrell & Russell: tel. (404) 264-2698; fax (404) 264-2652.