Free trade agreements (FTAs) between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the European Union will be signed within 2015, affirmed Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang at a conference held in Hanoi on April 16.
According to Hoang, the FTA between Vietnam and the EU is likely to be inked in June, while that with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan may come to an end in May or June at the latest.
Vietnam and the RoK intend to sign their trade agreement on May 5.
Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement are also expected to conclude by the end of this year, the minister said, adding that his ministry is preparing to begin negotiations on another FTA with Israel.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, who is also Head of the Inter-sector Steering Committee for Economic International Integration, requested ministries and sectors involved to speed up the integration process.
He also pointed out to several shortcomings, including weak coordination in the steering committee and between relevant offices, ineffective communication works, and the lack of activity in enterprises and localities.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh, the Government delegation Head in charge of economic and trade agreement negotiations, said that differences in ministry points of view in several specific issues are hindering the negotiation processes.
Delegates to the conference suggested renewing communication activities by directly disseminating the effects of economic integration in each sector and on each product to local people and enterprises.-VNA
According to Hoang, the FTA between Vietnam and the EU is likely to be inked in June, while that with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan may come to an end in May or June at the latest.
Vietnam and the RoK intend to sign their trade agreement on May 5.
Negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement are also expected to conclude by the end of this year, the minister said, adding that his ministry is preparing to begin negotiations on another FTA with Israel.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, who is also Head of the Inter-sector Steering Committee for Economic International Integration, requested ministries and sectors involved to speed up the integration process.
He also pointed out to several shortcomings, including weak coordination in the steering committee and between relevant offices, ineffective communication works, and the lack of activity in enterprises and localities.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh, the Government delegation Head in charge of economic and trade agreement negotiations, said that differences in ministry points of view in several specific issues are hindering the negotiation processes.
Delegates to the conference suggested renewing communication activities by directly disseminating the effects of economic integration in each sector and on each product to local people and enterprises.-VNA
