Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung paid a working visit to the European Union and Belgium on June 20-21 to speed up the signing of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) and reaffirm Vietnam’s efforts to realise international commitments on labour.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung (L) and
European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and
Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen (Source: VNA)

While in Brussels, Dung had meetings with European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen, European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade Bernd Lange, head of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Joost Korte, and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Employment Kris Peeters.

Discussions at the working sessions focused on issues related to labour commitments in the chapter on trade and sustainable development of the EVFTA – which has drawn attention of the EU during the preparation process for the signing and ratification of the agreement.

Minister Dung informed EU and Belgian leaders of the Vietnamese National Assembly’s approval of a resolution on Vietnam’s accession to the ILO’s Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining on June 14.

He stressed that together with trade and investment cooperation, Vietnam has paid special attention to inclusive and sustainable development, with the people put at the centre.

The official showed his hope that the EU and Vietnam will maintain close cooperation to speed up the signing of the EVFTA and the EU-Vietnam Investment Promotion Agreement (EVIPA) in the coming time and ratify them within this year.

The EU and Belgian sides spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts, especially in ratifying the Convention 98 and in revising and supplementing its Labour Code, which are considered one of the decisive conditions for the European Council’s consideration of allowing the European Commission to sign the EVFTA at the soonest time.