NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) and EP President David Sassoli (Photo: VNA) Berlin (VNA) – Germany’s Junge Welt newswire onSeptember 10 ran an article saying that Vietnamese National Assembly ChairmanVuong Dinh Hue concluded his two-day working trip to the European Parliamentand Belgium after attending the fifth World Conference of Speakers ofParliament (WCSP 5) in Austria, which demonstrated Vietnam’s diversified andindependent external and economic policies.
During talks with EPPresident David Sassoli at the host’s invitation, both sides discussed ways tostrengthen bilateral economic and trade ties, towards effectively realising theEuropean Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) that took effect onAugust 1, 2020.
During meetings withPresident of the European Council Charles Michel and Chairman of the InternationalCommittee on International Trade (INTA) Bernd Lange, they focused discussionson the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Hue also called for promptlycompleting procedures to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement(EVIPA), saying that it is one of the important foundations to bolsterbilateral ties.
According to the article,Vietnam is one of the largest trade partners of the EU in ASEAN while the EUwas one of the biggest foreign investors in Vietnam with a total directinvestment of 6.1 billion EUR in 2019.
In his talks with Prsidentof the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Eliane Tillieux and other Belgianleaders, Hue said Vietnam consider Belgium a significant trade partner. He alsosuggested the European nation soon ratify the EVIPA to make way for Belgianfirms to invest in maritime transportation, logistics, renewable energy andhi-tech agriculture in Vietnam.
Earlier in Vienna, Hue heldtalks with President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and President ofthe Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka.
At the WCSP 5, Vietnam urgedstrengthening the role of the IPU in current global issues, especiallyenhancing joint work with the UN.
The top Vietnameselegislator’s visit is considered a success and proved that Vietnam is a capablepartner, the article said./.
