Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - The European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) has applauded NationalAssembly resolutions ratifying the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and theEU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), its Chairman Nicolas Audiersaid.
Ratification marks a new beginning in the relationship between Vietnam and theEU, he believes, and bolsters Vietnam’s profile as just the second ASEAN countryto sign an FTA with the EU.
He stressed that the pact will usher in a new era of greater trade andinvestment between the two parties and begin the process of removing nearly 99percent of tariff lines and trade barriers over the course of the next decade.
It will also open up new markets for European investment and innovation and promotesustainable development in Vietnam, he added.
Vietnam will have full access to the EU’s market of 500 million consumers,while European companies can do business and invest in a safe Asian countrylike Vietnam, he said.
EuroCham has been one of the strongest supporters of the EVFTA since negotiationsfirst got underway, and the agreement is hoped to bring benefits not only to Europeanand Vietnamese businesses but also to the citizens of both sides.
The chamber and its 17 industry sub-committees, which represent over 1,000member enterprises, are ready to cooperate with Vietnam to ensure everyone canfully tap into the potential of the EVFTA now and in the future, he affirmed./.
VNA
