Representatives from the Vietnamese National Assembly and the European Parliament (EP) discussed the implementation of the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), during an online meeting on December 2.

Since the deal took effect earlier this year, the Vietnamese Government has issued a comprehensive plan for the EVFTA implementation. Each ministry, agency and locality has also embarked on their own plans.

Vietnam is also actively working with the EU to establish mechanisms to step up EVFTA implementation. The Vietnamese Government has issued legal documents guiding the effort, enhanced campaigns to raise public awareness of the deal, and promptly tackled difficulties met by businesses and localities.

The Vietnamese NA units are also partnering with the Government to speed up the full and effective implementation of commitments in the deal, boost parliamentary cooperation, and uphold its supervisory role in the delivery of commitments.

Since August 1 when the deal went into force, Vietnam has exported goods worth US$7.3 billion to the EU while spending around US$3.7 billion on imports.

EP lawmakers spoke highly of Vietnam’s timely building of laws related to the commitments in the deal. The two sides held that it is necessary to intensify cooperation to boost the effective implementation of the agreement, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both sides also discussed the establishment of the Domestic Advisory Groups to promote trade and sustainable development.