Free trade agreements (FTAs) between Vietnam and the Eurasian EconomicUnion, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the European Union will be signedwithin 2015, affirmed Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang at aconference held in Hanoi on April 16.

Accordingto Hoang, the FTA between Vietnam and the EU is likely to be inked inJune, while that with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Belarus andKazakhstan may come to an end in May or June at the latest.

Vietnam and the RoK intend to sign their trade agreement on May 5.

Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP) agreement are also expected to conclude by the end of this year,the minister said, adding that his ministry is preparing to beginnegotiations on another FTA with Israel.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, who isalso Head of the Inter-sector Steering Committee for EconomicInternational Integration, requested ministries and sectors involved tospeed up the integration process.

He alsopointed out to several shortcomings, including weak coordination in thesteering committee and between relevant offices, ineffectivecommunication works, and the lack of activity in enterprises andlocalities.

Deputy Minister of Industry andTrade Tran Quoc Khanh, the Government delegation Head in charge ofeconomic and trade agreement negotiations, said that differences inministry points of view in several specific issues are hindering thenegotiation processes.

Delegates to theconference suggested renewing communication activities by directlydisseminating the effects of economic integration in each sector and oneach product to local people and enterprises.-VNA