The seminar offered an opportunity for both Vietnam and the EU to assess major achievements over the 20-year relationship and discuss prospects for cooperation between the two sides in the future.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that 2010 is of meaningful year with a lot of important events for Vietnamese people. He said that these included the grand ceremony of 1,000^th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, Vietnam’s success in its ASEAN President and a series of activities to mark the establishment of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and other nations in the world.

Mr Son said the seminar will broaden knowledge about the benefits of the Vietnam-EU relationship and propose measures to promote bilateral ties in depth, especially when the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) takes effect.

He added that opinions given at the seminar would lay an important foundation for Vietnam’s relevant agencies and the EU to study and apply in making policies and implementing measures to consolidate and further strengthen Vietnam-EU relations.

Over the past 20 years, the Vietnam-EU relationship has made major positive changes. EU is now one of Vietnam’s biggest trade partners with two-way trade turnover reaching US$12.980 million in 2009. EU also ranks second among major foreign investors in Vietnam and is the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) provider to Vietnam in fields such as human resource development, socio-economic reforms, and Vietnam’s integration into the world.