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Vietnam acts as bridge for ASEAN-EU relations: experts

Vietnam has the potential to become a country that plays an important role in the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Vietnam acts as bridge for ASEAN-EU relations: experts ảnh 1EU is now Vietnam’s leading trade partner (Photo: VNA)
Brussels (VNA) - Vietnam has the potential tobecome a country that plays an important role in the relationship between theEuropean Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This is a common assessment made by European politicians,experts and entrepreneurs on the threshold of a commemorative summit tocelebrate the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-EU relations slated forDecember 14 in Brussels, Belgium.

First Vice President of the Belgian Senate Andries Gryffroysaid that Vietnam has an important strategic geological position in theIndo-Pacific, and its economy is currently an important link in the supplychain and economic value of ASEAN with many advantages such as: a stable macroenvironment, a dynamic economy, an increasingly open consumer market, a stablepolitical background and consistency in investment policies for economicdevelopment.

Therefore, Vietnam plays an important role in the relationshipbetween ASEAN and the EU, he stressed.

Also emphasising Vietnam's role as a bridge between ASEANand the EU, Jeroen Cooreman, who is in charge of bilateral relations at theBelgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Vietnam's commitment on renewableenergy development, green and sustainable development and digitaltransformation are in line with Belgium's priorities as well as theEU's agenda.

Vietnam acts as bridge for ASEAN-EU relations: experts ảnh 2Meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives from European Investment Bank (Photo: VNA)
From the perspective of commercial organisations, theFlanders Chamber of Commerce assessed that in addition to the role as a bridgebetween the two regions, the Vietnamese market with a young population is anattractive destination for European investors, especially in areas such asclean technology, food, beverage and logistics.

The Vietnam-EU relationship is said to be at its best ever. From an aid recipient,Vietnam has now become an equal and mutually beneficial partner of the EU.

Statistics of the European Institute for Asian Studies showthat the EU is now Vietnam’s leading trade partner, third largest export marketand fifth biggest import market. Two-way trade reached 57.1 billion EUR (60.2billion USD) in the first nine months of this year, up 10.3% year-on-year.

The union is also the fifth largest investor in Vietnam, with atotal registered capital of 27.6 billion USD as of August 2022. In theJanuary-August period alone, EU businesses poured 2.2 billion USD in Vietnam,up 69.6% year-on-year./.

     
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