EU major market for Vietnamese farm produce: minister
According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, the EU is an important, traditional and potential partner of Vietnamese agricultural products, especially when the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect.
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| Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan at the working session with visiting Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans on February 18. (Source: VNA) |
The EU is an important, traditional and potential partner of Vietnamese agricultural products, especially when the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect, creating a great opportunity to boost agro-forestry-fishery trade, stated Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan.
He made the statement at a working session with visiting Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans on February 18.
The EU’s support for Viet Nam in the past time has contributed significantly to the Vietnamese agriculture’s green and sustainable transition, he said, noting that the EU is Viet Nam’s top partner in terms of trade, investment, science-technology, and development cooperation.
Informing Timmermans about a series of plans, Hoan wished for the EU’s financial and technical assistance for the farming sector serving its implementation of solutions to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, sustainable forest management, green investment, and smart agriculture.
The minister suggested that the EU continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products to be present in the EU market; and aid Viet Nam in completing and operating its timber legality assurance system (VNTLAS) to soon have FLEGT-licensed timber shipments to the EU.
To develop trade between the sides, Timmermans proposed Viet Nam soon license registration documents for the export of agricultural products from the EU to Viet Nam; and soon publish a list of geographical indications that Viet Nam recognises regarding EU agricultural products.
The EU is ready to provide technical support for Viet Nam to solve its problems so that Vietnamese exports can comply with the bloc’s technical regulations and standards, he affirmed.
Considering the prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing a key task of the agricultural sector, Viet Nam is sparing no effort to address all recommendations from the EC, Hoan said.
The minister asked the EC to continue to accompany Viet Nam and recognise such efforts and soon remove the “yellow card” warning for the country.
For his part, Timmermans said Viet Nam has introduced very strict legal measures following EC recommendations on anti-IUU fishing. However, the two sides still have technical problems that need to be explained and clarified so that Viet Nam can soon have the card removed, he added.
The EC will send a mission for fact-finding trips in Vietnamese localities to evaluate the results and progresses Viet Nam has made and soon handle the issue, he said.
(Source: VNA)
