EU prioritises cooperation with Vietnam in Indo-Pacific region
VOV.VN - The European Union considers Vietnam to be one of its priority cooperation partners in the Indo-Pacific region, said Michal Safianick, president of the Asia-Oceania Working Party (COASI) of the European Council during the COASI delegation’s working session with the Vietnamese Delegation to the European Union.
The working session was held on April 17 at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Brussels ahead of the COASI delegation’s upcoming visit to Vietnam.
Safianick informed the Vietnamese side about the COASI delegation’s visit that will comprise representatives of all 27 EU member states, as well as representatives of the EU External Affairs Service (EEAS) and the European Commission.
This marks the first working trip of the COASI Delegation to Southeast Asia which is aimed at understanding more about both the country and the wider region, thereby seeking greater opportunities to promote Vietnam-EU ties in general, as well as between Vietnam and the region as a whole with EU member states.
According to the COASI President, both Vietnam and Indonesia are the two destinations which have been unanimously chosen by COASI for this working trip due to their importance and role within the region.
He also said that Vietnam and the EU boast a lot of potential to build ties on the basis of existing agreements, especially the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) for the fields of investment and trade, as well as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) for climate change response.
Representatives of EU member states expressed their hope that through the upcoming trip they would be able to understand more about Vietnam’s view and policy on socio-economic development, security, defence, and foreign affairs, thereby helping to build common trust and open up further opportunities for collaboration.
Some of their major concerns include trade and investment, climate change, development and green transition, marine economic co-operation, maritime security, cyber security, connectivity, digital transformation, and democracy-human rights issues.
During the working session, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao briefed EU officials on the Vietnamese side’s outstanding socio-economic development and diplomatic gains recorded over recent times, as well as its future orientations. He therefore affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its role and relationship with the EU.
According to the Ambassador, amid current international and regional unpredictable changes, both Vietnam and the EU share many concerns in areas such as trade and investment, climate change, green transformation and development, upholding respect for international law, and co-operation within multilateral frameworks.
Most notably both sides have treasured the long-standing comprehensive partnership, while Vietnam has developed its friendship and positive relations with many EU member states.
Given the common regional and global challenges that exist, now is the perfect time for Vietnam and the EU to promote relations, said the diplomat.
He expressed his belief that the COASI Delegation’s visit would contribute to strengthening common understanding between the two sides, thereby further deepening Vietnam-EU relations.
The Asia-Oceania Working Party is responsible for the bloc’s relations with Asia and Oceania. It handles all preparations for discussions on EU relations with Asia and Oceania in the Political and Security Committee, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), and in the Council.
The COASI Delegation’s working visit to a country or region outside of the EU is an annual programme jointly organised by EEAS and COASI, with the purpose of learning more about important regions and partners of the EU. This therefore helps to promote the EU’s relations with partners, as well as contributing to developing the bloc’s foreign policy from the perspective and assessment of each EU member state.
