Vietnam: An Important Partner of EU in South East Asia

Can you reveal the purpose of your visit?
The European Union (EU) is one of the top trade partners and investors of Vietnam. We are especially concerned about the future development of Vietnam. Vietnam is accelerating its reform and the EU wants to help Vietnam to reach this purpose.

My visit is a chance to assess the prospect of the Vietnam’s continued reform as well as the potentiality to boost Vietnam-EU trade ties to a new high, not only in trade but also other fields.

 

This is the first time you have visited Vietnam as a European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs. What do you think about the changes in Vietnam during the doi moi process?
We arrived in Vietnam during the 10^th Vietnam Communist Party Congress. This is a chance for the EU to evaluate the prospect of Vietnam’s continued reform as well as the potential for the two sides to bring relations to a new high in the future. Vietnam has collected constructive ideas from international sponsors and foreign partners about its five-year economic development plan from 2006 to 2010. We appreciate this very positive action, through which we consider the continuation in supporting Vietnam to develop.

 

We are pleased that the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam have pledged to fight corruption – one of the factors negatively impacting the investment environment. I have learned from of an effervescent debate over the corruption fight at the 10^th Party Congress. We will pay great attention to the ways Vietnam resolves this issue.

 

What do you think about EU-Vietnam relations in the future?
In my viewpoint, the two-way EU-Vietnam relation is developing impressively. The EU considers Vietnam an important partner in Southeast Asia and the commercial relations between the two sides are still the foundation. I believe that we will witness a growth in bilateral relations both in depth and in dimension.