German and Vietnam presidents discuss trials, trade

HANOI, May 21 (Reuters) German President Horst Koehler on a visit to Vietnam today raised concerns about the trials of political activists, but was gently reminded by his Vietnamese counterpart of the country's harsh colonial past.

Koehler is the first European head of state to visit Vietnam since three trials in quick succession in May in which six political activists were jailed for between three and five years.

In his meeting with President Nguyen Minh Triet in Hanoi, Koehler said, ''I mentioned that in Europe we are concerned about those people who were arrested and tried in Vietnam...we agreed we will discuss issues of common interest, even though we have differences of opinions.'' The two presidents witnessed the signing of two agreements on educational cooperation.

Germany holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and is Vietnam's biggest trade partner in Europe.

The EU and the United States condemned the trials and sentences as harsh and called for the release of activists, who Hanoi says broke the law. Triet, who visited China last week, is expected to hear more criticism of the trials when he goes to the United States on an official visit next month.

Koehler praised Vietnam's economic growth of 8 percent and market reforms.

''We have opened the economy but in regards to the opening in politics, what we put in the first line is political stability and enhancing the leadership of the state,'' Triet said at a press briefing in the presidential palace.

''As you know, our country has been ruled for hundreds of years by a colonial regime. There were times when Vietnamese people did not have full human rights. They were arrested, confined and tortured from one prison to another,'' Triet said.

The French ruled Vietnam for about 100 years until they were forced out in 1954. The US war in Vietnam of the 1960s and early 70s ended in 1975 with the communists unifying the country and have been in power since.

Reuters SKB GC1955