Vietnam, Spain seek measures to step up cooperation in various fields
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has affirmed the determination to step up the extensive and practical development of Vietnam-Spain "strategic partnership towards the future", especially in trade and investment, to uphold each side’s potential and strength.
Meeting with Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Reyes Maroto in Madrid on March 2 (local time), Quang suggested Spain encourage its businesses to shift their high-quality investments to Vietnam in areas that align with the two countries’ strengths and development needs such as infrastructure, renewable energy, transport, information technology and tourism; enhance cooperation and technology transfer in food hygiene and safety, seafood processing to improve the value of Vietnamese seafood exports to Spain.
He also proposed Spain support the European Commission (EC)’s early removal of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing yellow card against Vietnam's seafood exports.
Maroto, for her part, said a number of Spanish enterprises are interested in investing in infrastructure and renewable energy in Vietnam.
She agreed to create favourable conditions for Vietnam’s agro-aquatic products to enter the Spanish market, carry out the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic, trade and investment cooperation signed in 2017 and set up a Joint Committee to create a mechanism for the periodic exchange of measures to remove obstacles and boost trade-investment ties.
Acknowledging Vietnam’s efforts for sustainable fishing development, she promised to work with other EU member states to have the yellow card against Vietnam's seafood removed.
The two sides agreed to continue effectively realising the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) towards bringing two-way trade to US$5 billion in the coming time, increase monitoring and promptly update on recommendations regarding technical requirements, quarantine, food hygiene and safety of each side.
They will accelerate the early signing of the Financial Cooperation Programme 6 while reinforcing collaboration in renewable energy, study the possibility of producing green hydrogen, which is Spain's leading strength area.
Quang asked Spain to provide training courses on tourism and technical assistance for Vietnam on sustainable tourism development and management.
Meanwhile, the Spanish minister affirmed that the potential for bilateral tourism cooperation remains huge. She promised to consider studying the possibility of opening a direct flight route to facilitate travelling of their citizens.
Following the meeting, the two officials co-chaired a seminar between Vietnamese and Spanish enterprises.
