The working visit of a European Parliament (EP) delegation to Hanoi
and Ho Chi Minh City was aimed at promoting the ties between the EU and
Vietnam, according to Ambassador and Head of EU Delegation to Vietnam
Franz Jessen.
The ambassador made the statement at a press
conference in Hanoi on October 30 on the occasion of the visit of
the EP delegation, led by EP’s Committee for Southeast Asia and ASEAN
Relations Chairman Werner Langen.
Langen said the recently
signed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between EU and
Vietnam manifests the EU’s commitment to further promoting
across-the-board cooperation that will benefit both sides, adding that
EU and Vietnam have identified several prioritised areas within the
PCA framework for early implementation.
According to Langen, it
is now an important time in the EU-Vietnam relations, and when the two
sides sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the near future, it will
help both sides effectively tap their potential in economics, trade and
investment. The EU and Vietnam are scheduled to hold the fifth
negotiation round on their FTA in Vietnam in early November.
He noted that EU is Vietnam ’s biggest export market while Vietnam
is an important trade partner of the EU, and hoped this relation will
further develop in the coming time.
The EP official maker also
spoke highly of Vietnam’s role in the ASE AN as well as in bridging
ASEAN and EU, saying that the two sides can learn experience from each
other.
With the joint efforts, ASEAN can meet the goal to set up the ASEAN Community in 2015, he added.-VNA