EU interested in cooperating with Vietnam
European Commission Vice President and Commissioner
responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani made the
point while meeting with Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang in
Hanoi on November 13.
Tajani said the EU, as the
world’s largest import-export market and the top investment destination,
plans to work on certain growth factors and create more jobs in the
region.
Minister Hoang said with nearly 30 billion USD in
bilateral trade last year, the EU is the largest market for Vietnamese
goods and the second largest trade partner of Vietnam.
He said as both sides are working hard to conclude negotiations on a
free trade agreement by late 2014 which once signed will lift Vietnam
- EU economic ties to new heights with broader scope and better
quality.
Both host and guest affirmed their intention to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment in the time ahead.
Between January-September this year, two-way trade between Vietnam
and the EU jumped 20.8 percent year on year, topping 24.8 billion USD.
By late September, EU member nations invested in over 1,800 projects valued at nearly 33 billion USD in Vietnam.
The EC Vice President is leading a business delegation on a visit to
Vietnam on November 12 and 13 as part of EU’s efforts to deepen
economic relations with countries in the ASE AN region, including
Vietnam.-VNA