HANOI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Vietnam's top leader, To Lam, plans to travel to the United States next week to attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, the initiative launched by U.S. President Donald Trump to address global conflicts, according to two people briefed on the matter and a document reviewed by Reuters.
* The visit would be Lam's first to the United States sincehis confirmation in January as chief of Vietnam's rulingCommunist Party. * The sources, who declined to be named because theinformation was not public, said the visit could also includeannouncements on aviation-related commercial agreements. * Vietnam and the U.S. are negotiating a trade deal afterWashington imposed 20% tariffs on Vietnamese goods in August,though it is unclear whether any progress is likely next week. * The two sides held their sixth round of trade negotiationslast week but announced no commercial agreement afterwards. * Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to a requestfor comment on the visit. * The first Board of Peace leaders meeting is to be held inWashington on February 19, according to a U.S. official. * Vietnam announced on January 18 that it had accepted aninvitation to join the Board of Peace as a founding member,saying in its acceptance letter sent to Trump that "Vietnambelieves that the establishment of the Board of Peace is anecessary step in implementing the Gaza Strip Peace Plan."
(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu; Writing by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Ros Russell)
