European media highlights Vietnamese NA leader’s visit to Europe, Belgium
Several prestigious newspapers of the EU and Belgium have run articles spotlighting National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s trip to Europe and the country on September 8-9.
The EU Today on September 6 posted an article titled “EU - Vietnam - Belgium relations: A new direction after the pandemic”, which has positive assessments on cooperation prospects between the EU in general and Belgium in particular and Vietnam.
According to the author, the relationship between the EU and Vietnam has become a model of EU cooperation with Asian countries. Both sides have focused on promoting the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which was signed in 2012 and which took effect on October 1, 2016, marking an important step forward in the Vietnam-EU relationship, thus creating a legal basis for bringing the bilateral relationship to a new stage of development with a large scope and deeper levels.
After a decade of relentless efforts, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) were signed on June 30, 2019. The EVFTA officially took effect from August 1, 2020, thus opening a brighter and newer chapter in this bilateral cooperation relationship.
These agreements are expected to bring “golden” opportunities for the two sides to effectively exploit the potential of cooperation, promote trade, investment, sustainable development and contribute to promoting economic linkages, the article wrote.
The author said that Europe has the ability to promote stronger cooperation with Vietnam in tourism, education, logistics, agriculture, and high technology.
The EU is also positioned to promote the required Green Technology Transfer to Vietnam in the treatment of waste, water sources, management of seawater intrusion, and sea-level rise to enhance people's lives in areas affected by climate changes such as the central region and the Mekong Delta.
It can also be a valuable partner in supporting Vietnam in sustainable energy development, governance, rule of law, and legislation. Vietnam is also still in need of development assistance for projects on developing green energy and improving the environment in a sustainable way in rural and mountainous areas.
Earlier, the Brussels Times of Belgium ran an article titled “EU-Vietnam relations reach new heights", stressing that the visit of the new Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly is the first high-level visit to Europe by a Vietnamese leader after the general elections.
The article reviewed the cooperation between Vietnam and the EU over the past 30 years, during which the legislative bodies of the two sides have played an important role.
The EU continues to consider Vietnam a leading partner in the region, while Vietnam has always positioned itself as a bridge between the EU and Southeast Asia, it added.
