Mr. Son made the appeal during a working session with Ms. Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, on the sidelines of the second Global Gateway Forum held in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Son also urged the EU to support Vietnam in developing its marine economy and adapting fishermen and enterprises to regulations on responsible fishing, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of marine resources.

He said he hopes the EU will soon lift its IUU yellow card, paving the way for stronger Vietnam–EU cooperation in the maritime economy, particularly in sustainable fisheries development.

Ms. Kallas said Vietnam is one of the EU’s leading partners in the region, and the EU looks forward to expanding cooperation in areas that drive economic development as the two sides work toward upgrading their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

She acknowledged Vietnam’s progress in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and said the European Commission plans to send a mission to Vietnam next month to discuss IUU-related issues.