Workers process tra fish for export. Fishery products are among Vietnam's key exports to the EU. (Photo: VNA)

Talking to Vietnam’s ambassadors to the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Belgium in Mikulov, Czech Republic last week, Zahradil said the EP has approved a report on an Indo-Pacific trade and investment strategy which stresses the importance of the EU’s free trade agreements with partners in the region.

Notably, he said, the report calls on EU members to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) so that it can take effect early and create optimal conditions for promoting the EU’s investment in the region and Vietnam.

Zahradil noted that Vietnam holds a special position in this report as a member of ASEAN and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 

He said he is impressed by Vietnam’s economic achievements, particularly its GDP growth of 7.72% in the second quarter and holding inflation below 3%.

The EU is currently Vietnam’s fifth-largest trading partner and second-largest importer. Bilateral trade grew nearly 15% to more than 63 billion USD in 2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.