Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (R) meets with Ambassador Bruno Angelet, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, on November 21 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The EU-Vietnam Free TradeAgreement (EVFTA) needs to balance both sides’ interests and respects thearticles that they have agreed on, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue toldAmbassador Bruno Angelet, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam.
At a working session in Hanoi on November 21,Hue affirmed that the EVFTA is important to both Vietnam and the EU, asking thetwo sides to coordinate to speed up the signing and ratification of the tradepact in the first half of 2018.
The revision of economic cooperation contentsshould only relate to issues about the EU-Vietnam Framework Agreementon Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA), other fields suchas human rights should not be added, he noted.
He emphasised Vietnam’s policy of coordinatingwith the international community to better protect human rights on the basis ofrespect to historical and cultural differences and straightforward dialogue tonarrow differences.
The Deputy PM also expressed his regret at theEU’s issuance of a “yellow card” which warns Vietnam for illegal, unreportedand unregulated (IUU) fishing. He noted that this issuance resulted in a morecomplicated environment amid the two sides’ enhancement of trade and investmentcooperation.
Vietnam appreciates the EU’s warning, which aimsto help the country tackle IUU fishing, he said, adding that its agencies havebeen taking synchronous solutions to solve, prevent and minimise IUU fishing.
Hue voiced his hope that the EU will soon removethe “yellow card” so as not to worry Vietnamese fishermen or affect the EVFTAsigning.
Ambassador Angelet said the EU will work closelywith Vietnam to carry out necessary solutions in order to soon remove the“yellow card” for Vietnam’s fishery products.
He also highly valued the VietnameseGovernment’s activeness in directing ministries and sectors under theVietnam-EU Joint Committee to take necessary steps to implement the EVFTA in2018.
The PCA is important to accelerating the EVFTAsigning and ratification, he noted, adding that to implement the PCA, aVietnam-EU human rights dialogue will be held next week, and this dialogue willhelp deepen mutual understanding and strengthen bilateral relations in the timeahead.-VNA
VNA
