Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always regards theEU as one of the most important partners in its foreign policy, Prime MinisterPham Minh Chinh affirmed at a reception for visiting European Commission (EC)Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in Hanoi on November 2.

The EU is Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner, whileVietnam is its biggest trade partner in the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN). The EU is also the sixth largest investor in Vietnam.

Chinh appreciated the EU’s consideration of climatechange adaptation one of the three focuses of cooperation with Vietnam for 2021– 2027, and thanked the EU for its 210 million EUR (222.55 million USD) innon-refundable aid to Vietnam in the 2021 - 2024 period.

He suggested the EU accelerate theimplementation of its free trade agreement with Vietnam (EVFTA), and createmore favourable conditions for Vietnamese goods to enter the market, especiallyagricultural and aquatic products, striving to bring two-way trade to 100billion USD.

Vietnam is committed to further facilitating the operationsof EU enterprises, he said, adding that EU firms should be encouraged to investin the country in such areas as digital transformation, energy transformation,sustainable development, climate change response, high technology, andlogistics infrastructure in which they have strengths.  

The PM called on Dombrovskis, who is also the EU's TradeCommissioner, to urge remaining EU member countries to soon ratify the EU-VietnamInvestment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and the EC to soon remove its “yellowcard” against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Vietnam.  

For his part, Dombrovskis highly valued Vietnam’sdevelopment and cooperation potential, saying the Vietnam-EU relations arethriving, especially after the signing of the EVFTA.

Vietnam and the EU share the goal of sustainabledevelopment, particularly in green economy and circular economy, he said,reiterating the Southeast Asian nation’s commitments to achieving net zero emissionsby 2050, and participating in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The EU and its member countries view Vietnam as aleading important partner in the region and the world, and wish to promoterelations with it across spheres as mentioned by the PM, he emphasised.

Praising Vietnam's contributions as a non-permanentmember of the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council and otherinternational organisations, Dombrovski noted his hope that Vietnam will play amore active role in global affairs, for peace, stability, cooperation anddevelopment.

Chinh asked the EU to cooperate and provideconsultation for Vietnam in green economy, circular economy and climate changeresponse, and step up financial support for the country within the JETP.

The PM said he hopes that the EU will strengthencooperation within the framework of ASEAN and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), pledgingthat Vietnam stands ready to work as a bridge between the EU and other ASEANcountries to seize opportunities and resolve common challenges, especially thoseregarding environment and climate change, green transition, digitaltransformation, infrastructure connection, and capacity building for the healthsystem.

The two sides shared ASEAN’s views on ensuringsafety, security, and freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, the fulland serious implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (DOC), and pushing ahead with the negotiations and building of aneffective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordancewith international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS), for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and theworld./.