Vietnam and EU officials co-chaired the 6th Joint Committee session in Brussels, advancing the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and regional priorities.
Pampaloni opened the conference by conveying condolences to Vietnam over recent storm and flood damage. The EU has committed 850,000 EUR in humanitarian help and is pressuring member states for more contributions. According to her, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Luxembourg have already responded, with Luxembourg's first aid cargo arriving in Vietnam.
While reviewing bilateral cooperation under established fabrics, similar as the Defense- Security Dialogue, the Trade Committee responsible for carrying out the EU- Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and specialized missions, both sides changed updates on socioeconomic conditions and foreign policy.
After 35 years of political cooperation, they concurred that Vietnam- EU relations have been perfecting, citing regular delegation exchanges at all situations, particularly high ones, and lesser political trust.
Vietnam has formed strategic partnerships with Spain, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Bulgaria; comprehensive hookups with Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands; and comprehensive strategic hookups with France. This is viewed as a strong foundation for improving Vietnam-EU relations going forward.
Trade-investment, development, national defense-security, education-training, and climate response have all seen an increase in cooperation. Programs supported by the EU on energy transition, economic governance, and public finance modernization have been successful.
In addition to promoting the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by the remaining six EU member states, the two parties agreed to increase high-level exchanges and guarantee the successful implementation of the EVFTA. They also pledged to make the most of the current channels for communication and cooperation.
In the future, trade and investment, green economy, digital transformation, circular economy, sustainable fisheries, clean energy transition, sci-tech, innovation, infrastructure, and climate adaptation were among the potential areas in which Vietnam and the EU pledged to expand their cooperation. Sci-tech and innovation were identified as a new pillar.
Hang urged the EU to assist Vietnam in taking full use of programs including the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Horizon Europe (the EU's largest research and innovation program), and Erasmus+ (Education, Training, Youth, and Sports Program). She also called on the EU and its member states to immediately rescind the "yellow card" warning and described Vietnam's stepped-up efforts to stop illicit, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In order to improve collaboration in trade-investment, finance, agriculture, development, climate response, and national defense-security, participants made specific recommendations.
Both sides emphasized that maritime conflicts must be resolved peacefully in compliance with transnational law and reaffirmed their support for multilateralism and the UN's part.
Vietnam and the EU emphasized the need to strengthen the ASEAN- EU Strategic Partnership, increase trade and investment, address global issues like afflictions, natural disasters, climate change, and environmental declination, and support green and sustainable development in subregions like the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
In order to lay the groundwork for a more significant and long-lasting bilateral partnership in the years to come, the conference ended with a shared resolve to enhance comprehensive cooperation, fully use current dialogue mechanisms, and extend collaboration in promising areas.
What are the key highlights from the session?
The EU handed €850,000 in philanthropic aid to support Vietnam’s recovery from recent storms and cataracts, with further benefactions being encouraged from EU member countries. Plans to broaden collaboration in green frugality, digital metamorphosis, indirect frugality, sustainable fisheries, clean energy transition, wisdom, technology, invention, structure, and climate adaptation were emphasized.
Both parties reaffirmed support for multilateralism and peaceful agreement of maritime controversies grounded on transnational law, particularly UNCLOS, while pressing the significance of security, safety, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Vietnam and the EU continue to make 35 years of political ties with expanding cooperation and collective support across different fields aiming for sustainable, inclusive development.