WASHINGTON INSIGHT

REACHING OUT: U.S. policy-makers are considering taking some small steps in the next few months toward improving relations with Vietnam. . . . One possibility: lifting a ban on phone calls and other telecommunications to Vietnam. Another would be to allow American businesses more latitude to scout for prospects there. The steps may partly be an effort to placate allies, such as Japan and France, who have been pressing the United States to restore normal ties with the Vietnamese. But don’t look for any dramatic moves, such as a lifting of the U.S. trade embargo or restoration of diplomatic relations, until after the November elections. . . . The Bush Administration says Vietnam first must help resolve the cases of American MIAs.