European media highlights Vietnamese NA leader’s visit to Europe, Belgium

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue witnessed the symbolic ceremony of the Belgian Government giving 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. (Source: VNA)

The EU Today on September 6 posted an article titled “EU - Viet Nam - Belgium relations: A new direction after the pandemic”, which has positive assessments on cooperation prospects between the EU in general and Belgium in particular and Vietnam.

According to the author, the relationship between the EU and Vietnam has become a model of EU cooperation with Asian countries. Both sides have focused on promoting the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which was signed in 2012 and which took effect on October 1, 2016, marking an important step forward in the Viet Nam-EU relationship, thus creating a legal basis for bringing the bilateral relationship to a new stage of development with a large scope and deeper levels.

After a decade of relentless efforts, the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) were signed on June 30, 2019. The EVFTA officially took effect from August 1, 2020, thus opening a brighter and newer chapter in this bilateral cooperation relationship.

These agreements are expected to bring “golden” opportunities for the two sides to effectively exploit the potential of cooperation, promote trade, investment, sustainable development and contribute to promoting economic linkages, the article wrote.

The author said that Europe has the ability to promote stronger cooperation with Viet Nam in tourism, education, logistics, agriculture, and high technology.

The EU is also positioned to promote the required Green Technology Transfer to Viet Nam in the treatment of waste, water sources, management of seawater intrusion, and sea-level rise to enhance people's lives in areas affected by climate changes such as the central region and the Mekong Delta.

It can also be a valuable partner in supporting Viet Nam in sustainable energy development, governance, rule of law, and legislation. Viet Nam is also still in need of development assistance for projects on developing green energy and improving the environment in a sustainable way in rural and mountainous areas.

Earlier, the Brussels Times of Belgium ran an article titled “EU-Viet Nam relations reach new heights", stressing that the visit of the new Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly is the first high-level visit to Europe by a Vietnamese leader after the elections to the Parliament.

The article reviewed the cooperation between Viet Nam and the EU over the past 30 years, during which the legislative bodies of the two sides have played an important role.

The EU continues to consider Viet Nam a leading partner in the region, while Viet Nam has always positioned itself as a bridge between the EU and the Southeast Asian countries, it added.

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