They also agreed that Vietnam is still a promising place for those who find the right partners to invest in.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to the US, Le Cong Phung, spoke of the economic achievements that Vietnam has made during the renewal process as well as the growing relationship between Vietnam and the US in political, economic, commercial, educational and many other fields.

The diplomat added that the Vietnamese Government attaches a lot of importance to protecting the environment while developing the economy. “Vietnam is open to every investor in the world, including the US," he added.

Taking part in the forum, were senior officials from US businesses, governmental agencies, science institutions and financial circles, who discussed Vietnam ’s energy and environmental needs, lessons the country has learnt from previous investments and opportunities for setting up partnerships.

Michael F. Violette, President of Washington Laboratories Ltd., said: "We are interested in helping Vietnam to address its environmental issues as it develops its economy. Balancing economic development with the need of environment protection is a big challenge."

They focused on how the US and Vietnam could work together to solve problems relating to the quality of water, the infrastructure of clean water supplies and waste management, problems that the Vietnamese Government needs to deal with.

Al Goodman, Principal of Camp Dresser & McKee Inc, which has invested in an US$80-million project to build a water treatment system and a clean water distribution network to serve the Ho Chi Minh City area, said: " Vietnam is little behind in terms of environmental protection but is catching up rapidly, using new technologies, as the government has desire to improve the environment. The private sector also has a role to play in this process. If all the public and private sector get together, I think the standard of the environment will improve very quickly."

The talks were organised by the Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership in cooperation with the Asia Society and the US State Department’s APEC office.