Top legislator meets with President of European Council

Chairman of National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (left) meets with President of the European Council (EC) Charles Michel, Brussels, Belgium, September 8, 2021

The top Vietnamese legislator emphasized that the EU is one of Viet Nam’s top economic partners. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-way trade increased by 18 percent since the sides’ trade agreement came into effect in August last year.

Vuong, who is on his first visit to the EU as Chairman of the National Assembly, suggested the EC help boost the ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by individual EU member countries in a bid to further advance the Viet Nam-EU ties in a comprehensive manner.

He also asked the EU side to support and share experience in sustainable development, digital economy, green economy, quality human resource development to help the Southeast Asian country realize its goals set for 2025, 2030, and 2045.

Vuong thanked for the EU’s support for Viet Nam’s COVID-19 fight, including its donation of 2.4 million vaccine doses, hoping that the EU would continue to share idle vaccines with and provide more medical equipment and COVID-19 treatment drugs to the Southeast Asian country.

Briefing about Viet Nam’s recent efforts in handling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Vuong called on the EU to soon remove “yellow card” against Vietnamese aquatic exports.

He affirmed Viet Nam stands ready to exchange and cooperate with the EU over human right issues in the spirit of candidness, openness, mutual respect and understanding.

Viet Nam will continue close coordination with the EU and the EP in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and is willing to play a greater role in advancing the ASEAN-EU relations.

Given immense consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, both Vuong and Michel shared the view that it is necessary to restructure the global economy and drive collective efforts and actions against climate change.

They also voiced support for an ASEAN region of stability, cooperation and prosperity, and for maintenance of security, safety, freedom of navigation and overflight on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea./.

By Thuy Dung