Vietnam–EU cooperation making strides, says Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son
WVR - Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son affirms that the EU is a crucial partner in Vietnam's foreign policy.
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| Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son meets with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic. (Photo: VGP) |
On September 26 at the Government headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Sơn, on behalf of the Prime Minister, received EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and the visiting EU delegation.
Welcoming EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and his delegation to Vietnam on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Vietnam–EU diplomatic ties and the 5th anniversary of the EVFTA, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son expressed confidence that the visit would further advance bilateral relations, particularly in economic and trade cooperation
Affirming that the EU is a vital partner in Vietnam’s foreign policy, the Deputy Prime Minister welcomed the successful cooperation achieved across multiple fields. The two sides have established and effectively maintained eight regular dialogue mechanisms, signed numerous cooperation agreements, and coordinated closely at multilateral forums, while exchanges and visits at all levels have become more frequent. Substantial progress has been made in economic, trade and investment ties, as well as in science and technology, defense and security, environment and climate response, education and training, culture and tourism, and development cooperation.
Informing the Commissioner of Vietnam’s situation and development goals, the Deputy Prime Minister noted that the country has recently marked 50 years of national reunification and 80 years of independence, while reviewing 40 years of renewal in preparation for the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party.
He highlighted that Vietnam’s economy now ranks 32nd globally and its trade scale is among the world’s top 20. Vietnam has introduced and implemented strategic policies to create a ‘turning point, state transition’, with the aim of becoming a modern, industrialized upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income developed country by 2045.
Welcoming active discussions on upgrading bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn called on the EU to further strengthen political trust through exchanges at all levels, particularly high-level visits, and encouraged the EU President to visit Vietnam soon. He urged the remaining EU member states to ratify the Vietnam–EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) without delay, ensure effective implementation of the EVFTA, and remove the “yellow card” warning for Vietnamese seafood.
The host also encouraged the EU to continue supporting the ASEAN Community building, align the ASEAN – EU action plans with ASEAN priorities, and strongly back the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), thereby contributing to peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.
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| Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son urges the remaining EU member states to soon ratify the EVIPA. (Photo: VGP) |
For his part, Commissioner Maros Sefcovic thanked Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Sơon for the meeting and noted his productive discussions with Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, during which both sides agreed to further promote trade and maximize the EVFTA. Commending Vietnam’s renovation and development achievements, he reaffirmed the EU’s support for Vietnam’s rapid and sustainable growth, while encouraging continued reforms to facilitate EU investment.
He proposed setting up a task force to tackle cooperation issues, including lifting the IUU "yellow card", and to shape strategies in areas such as science, technology, semiconductors, AI, renewable energy, 5G, aviation, and logistics. He also invited Vietnam to join the EU’s “Global Gateway Initiative” in Brussels next month.
Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son welcomed the proposal, confirming Vietnam’s readiness to establish a joint working group with the EU and calling for stronger cooperation under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). He highlighted Vietnam’s commitment to improving incentives, IP protection, and workforce training to attract high-tech projects, and expressed interest in deeper collaboration with the EU in research, technology transfer, and startups. On behalf of the Prime Minister, he invited EU leaders to attend the signing ceremony of the Hanoi Convention on Cybercrime this October.
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