Viet Nam-Spain ties stand good chance to thrive further: Ambassador Hoang Xuan Hai
Viet Nam and Spain are standing a good chance to further develop ties, given that the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect in August and the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVPIA) has already been ratified by Viet Nam and is pending ratification in the EU, Vietnamese Ambassador to Spain Hoang Xuan Hai has said.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Spain Hoang Xuan Hai (left) attends a forum on new business and investment opportunities in Viet Nam for Spanish companies co-held by the Embassy of Viet Nam and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Andalusia (CEA). (Photo: VNA) |
Hai made the statement at a forum on new business and investment opportunities in Viet Nam for Spanish companies co-held by the Embassy of Viet Nam and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Andalusia (CEA) as part of his visit to the city of Sevilla, Spain’s Andalusia on November 8–9.
The ambassador highly valued the 44-year diplomatic relation and 12-year Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and Spain which has seen progress in multiple areas, particularly economics. He highlighted that bilateral economic ties have grown remarkably, with two-way trade expanding to 3.25 billion USD in 2019 from 650 million USD in 2009.
Despite COVID-19 impacts, the bilateral trade reached 2.3 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, he emphasized, adding that Spain is running 82 investment projects, worth over 134 million USD, in Viet Nam.
In a meeting with CEA President Javier Gonzalez de Lara y Sarria, Hai said he wants to cooperate with the CEA to help Spanish firms explore opportunities in the Vietnamese market, especially in hi-tech agriculture. His host, meanwhile, said it is the first economic forum on Viet Nam ever held by the CEA, describing it as a landmark milestone in bilateral trade relations.
The Vietnamese ambassador also had a meeting with José Enrique Millo Rocher, Secretary General of Foreign Action of Andalusia, during he held that the economic ties between Viet Nam and Spain, though growing, are yet to match both countries’ potential and advantages.
Viet Nam treasures relations with Spain generally and Andalusia particularly so it has appointed an honorary consul at Sevilla, he stated.
The Spanish side highlighted that the EVFTA offers an opportunity for boosting bilateral trade and investment and agreed to further bolster the ties in the coming time when the pandemic is brought under control.
(Source: VNA)
