National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan lauded contributions by head of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam Bruno Angelet to fostering Vietnam-EU relations when receiving the outgoing diplomat in Hanoi on August 1.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) hosts head
of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam Bruno Angelet

Ngan expressed her delight at efforts to carry out the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and enhance economic, trade and investment ties.

Emphasising the recent signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), she said she hopes both sides will work towards the early ratification of the two agreements so that they can open up new cooperation opportunities for both sides’ enterprises.

Ngan stated that the NA and the European Parliament have intensified cooperation through stepping up delegation exchanges, sharing experience in law making, and exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The NA leader stated that the Vietnamese legislature is willing to welcome members of the European Parliament (EP) to the country to make the organisation understand more about the Vietnamese situation.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the top legislator affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of solving disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea fully and effectively; working with other ASEAN member states in speeding up the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea, and avoiding activities that complicate and expand disputes in the sea.

She voiced her hope that in any position, Bruno Angelet will continue contributing to the relations between Vietnam and the EU in general and between the two parliaments in particular.

The diplomat told his host that the EU always does its best to foster the bilateral relations and support Vietnam’s development.

Vietnam currently receives the most of assistance programmes from the EU in Southeast Asia, and is the only country to have a comprehensive set of agreements with the EU from the PCA to the EVFTA, the EVIPA, and the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), he stressed, adding that these results are thanks to Vietnam’s open and friendly foreign policy.

He also acknowledged the country’s efforts in implementing its international commitments, including the ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No. 98.

The official expressed his belief that in the time to come, both sides will maintain efforts to realise agreements signed, thus contributing to boosting both sides’ development.