Việt Nam seeks stronger cooperation with EU: legislator

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Đức Hải (R) and Bernd Lange, Chairman of the European Parliament (EP)’s Committee on International Trade. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Đức Hải hosted a reception in Hà Nội on January 17 for Bernd Lange, Chairman of the European Parliament (EP)’s Committee on International Trade, during which the legislator affirmed that Việt Nam always wishes to enhance its partnership and comprehensive cooperation with the European Union (EU).

Hải noted with pleasure positive developments in the relations between Việt Nam  and the EU as well as the Vietnamese legislature and the EP, saying Việt Nam is now an important partner of the EU in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific.

The Vietnamese NA highly values joint efforts in maintaining the substantive and effective inter-parliamentary dialogue channel through delegation exchange, he said.  

Regarding the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which went into force on August 1, 2020, he said it has helped push the two-way trade, affirming that Việt Nam will seriously and fully fulfill its commitments in the deal as well as other international commitments it has made.

The legislator held that there will be more ample room for the two sides to boost their trade ties once the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) ratified by all parliaments of EU member countries and put into force.

He called on the EP to support strengthening the partnership and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and the EU and its member countries across fields, including inter-parliamentary cooperation, and Vietnam-EU collaboration in green transition, digital transformation, and climate change response.

Hải suggested Lange urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood to contribute to ensuring livelihoods for Vietnamese fishermen and supplies to the EU market; and the EU and its members to further back Việt Nam ’s and ASEAN’s stance on settling disputes in the East Sea peacefully on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

For his part, Lange said the two sides have held many activities to materialise commitments between the Vietnamese legislature and the EP on the establishment of a regular dialogue mechanism on the EVFTA, stressing it is significant to promoting Vietnam – EU cooperation.

Sharing Hải’s view on the importance of the trade deal, he said it has given many boosts to the economic and political relations, and affirmed that Việt Nam is the EU’s important partner in the ASEAN, and that the impressive trade growth reflects their huge potential for development cooperation.  

For the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Lange cited the EC’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries as saying that Việt Nam  has made great efforts in equipping its fishing boats with the vessel monitoring system, fixing shortcomings in the implementation of EU recommendations, and internalising international treaties.

He suggested the two sides maintain their exchange and dialogue mechanisms in an open and constructive manner to forge the partnership and comprehensive cooperation.  VNS