Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA) Bernd Lange discussed the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) during their meeting in Hanoi on September 14.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee Bernd Lange on September 14

The PM told his guest that Vietnam regards the European Union (EU) as one of its most important partners and wants to step up comprehensive cooperation with it especially when the two sides’ trade and investment ties are growing productively with encouraging outcomes.

He stated that the upcoming signing of the EVFTA will be a crucial milestone, lifting the two sides’ relations to new heights, as the agreement is believed to benefit businesses and people.

Vietnam always listens sincerely to every opinion raised by European businesses, the PM affirmed, expressing his thank to the EU for its efforts to push for the signing of the agreement and asking the INTA and Chair Bernd Lange to do more for the signing to take place soon.

He asserted that Vietnam has given top priority to screening its legal system in service of the signing and ratification of the agreement, reflected in the close cooperation between its negotiators, ministries and sectors with the EU in the process.

INTA Chair Bernd Lange stated his willingness to support Vietnam in trade issues, saying that the EU is making efforts to complete the EVFTA before the summer of 2018 and he, himself, supports and wishes the agreement to be signed soon. 

He expressed his hope that the two sides would finalise final steps of the EVFTA in the spring of 2018 and believed that with the good partnership, both sides would overcome all hurdles and ratify the agreement in 2018.

VNA