(VOVworld) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and President of the European Commission Jean Claude Junker on Wednesday witnessed the signing of an agreement officially ending negotiations on Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and President of the European Commission Jean Claude Junker |
Vietnam has become one of the first ASEAN countries that concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement with the EU. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam hoped the EU will soon ratify the FTA and recognize Vietnam’s market economy status: “The Vietnam-EU relationship has developed steadily and comprehensively across politics and culture-society. It is the highlight of economic-trade ties and development cooperation. We hope the EU will soon ratify the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in early 2016. To deepen the Vietnam-EU cooperation, both sides need to strengthen exchanges, consultations and cooperation in areas of their potential including ICT, high technology, renewable energy, new materials, consumption goods, agro and fisheries production, financial services, investment, healthcare, education, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation”.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and President of the European Council Donald Tusk |
Prime Minister Dung said he hoped the EU will continue contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. To mark the occasion, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and EC President Jean Claude Junker witnessed the signing of a financial agreement on legal and judicial strengthening program in Vietnam. Earlier, PM Dung held talks with the EC President on ways to strengthen bilateral ties. Dung also met with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Head of the Friendship Parliamentarian Group with Vietnam Jan Zahradil. PM Nguyen Tan Dung, EC President Jean Claude Junker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk released a joint press communiqué on the Vietnam-EU relationship.