Portugal requested to open market for Vietnamese farm products

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son made the request during his talks in Hanoi on January 18 with his Portuguese counterpart Joao Gomes Cravinho.

Son suggested the two sides work closely to maximize the opportunities brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The two sides should step up bilateral cooperation in the fields of which Portugal has strengths and Vietnam has development needs such as marine economy, maritime, renewable energy, tourism, information technology among others, he said.

Son also suggested that Portugal soon ratify the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and lobby the European Commission to soon remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood products.

Cravinho for his part lauded Vietnam’s increasingly important role and position regionally and globally, and said Portugal wishes to promote cooperation with Vietnam in its overall policy towards the Asia-Pacific region.

The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones, and continue to closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral and international forums, including the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and ASEAN – EU, while promoting cooperation to respond to global challenges, including food security.

Both host and guest touched upon international and regional issues of mutual concern. Regarding the East Sea, the two sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the regional waters, as well as settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).