Vietnam-EU celebrate 25th anniversary of ties

Speaking at a press conference on January 29 in Hanoi, Ambassador-Head of the EU Delegation in Vietnam Dr. Franz Jessen said the fine development of EU-Vietnam relations over the past 25 years has opened up cooperative opportunities in a host of fields. In 2015, the European Union and Vietnam will organize a series of important events to mark the anniversary and strengthen economic and friendship ties, Jessen added.

Over the past two and one-half decades, Vietnam has attained impressive economic achievements and made remarkable social changes raising its profile to that of a middle income nation and an important partner of ASEAN.

During this same period of time, both sides have deepened their ties through the EC Framework Cooperation Agreement signed in 1995 and EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which was signed in 2012.

As of December 2015, 20 out of 28 EU member nations have set up representative diplomatic offices in Hanoi, which has affirmed Vietnam’s important political status in the Southeast Asian region.

Ambassador Jessen stressed that the completion of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement negotiations has marked an important milestone in cooperation between the two sides.

The EU has reiterated its commitments to supporting Vietnam’s transformation process and becoming a major source for foreign investment, knowledge and technique provision in Vietnam.

Jessen said the EU will continue to assist Vietnam in fulfilling goals in  its socio-economic strategy by increasing ODA from EUR 300 million to EUR 400 million in the period 2014-2020 and continue to be the largest ODA providers to Vietnam.

A host of events will mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties including forums and film and music festivals throughout the year.