Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium cum Head of the country’s delegationto the European Union (EU) Pham Sanh Chau has expressed optimism at theprogress of negotiations for a free trade agreement between Vietnamand the EU, and between the EU and ASEAN.
He wasspeaking at a conference on economic and trade relations between the EUand ASEAN recently held by the International Trade Committee and theExternal Policy Department of the European Parliament in Brussels .
Chau said the FTA negotiations between Vietnamand the EU are a national priority as the EU is the country’s mostimportant trading partner.
Last year, the EUsurpassed the US to become the largest importer of Vietnamese goods,worth a total of 20.31 billion USD - up 22.71 percent over the previousyear. Vietnam imported 8.79 billion USD worth of goods from theunion, an increase of 13.48 percent compared to 2011, he noted.
Two rounds of negotiations between the two sides have ended withpositive results, he added. The next round will take place in Hanoithis April.
Speaking at the event, MauroPetriccione, Director for Asia and Latin America at the Trade Departmentof the European Commission and Chief Negotiator for the EU-Vietnam FTAnegotiations, affirmed that ASEAN is now the third largest partner ofthe EU, behind the US and China .
ASEANconsumes 10.7 percent of the EU’s exported goods, and ships 9.4 percentof its exported products to Europe , he said, adding that theten-member regional grouping and its 600 million residents will continueto be an important partner to the EU in the 2013-2017 period.
The EU is also negotiating a FTA with Malaysia . It concludednegotiations with Singapore in December last year, and is pursuingnegotiations with other ASEAN member countries including thePhilippines and Thailand .
ASEAN or theAssociation of South-East Asian Nations consists of Brunei, Cambodia,Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand andVietnam.-VNA
He wasspeaking at a conference on economic and trade relations between the EUand ASEAN recently held by the International Trade Committee and theExternal Policy Department of the European Parliament in Brussels .
Chau said the FTA negotiations between Vietnamand the EU are a national priority as the EU is the country’s mostimportant trading partner.
Last year, the EUsurpassed the US to become the largest importer of Vietnamese goods,worth a total of 20.31 billion USD - up 22.71 percent over the previousyear. Vietnam imported 8.79 billion USD worth of goods from theunion, an increase of 13.48 percent compared to 2011, he noted.
Two rounds of negotiations between the two sides have ended withpositive results, he added. The next round will take place in Hanoithis April.
Speaking at the event, MauroPetriccione, Director for Asia and Latin America at the Trade Departmentof the European Commission and Chief Negotiator for the EU-Vietnam FTAnegotiations, affirmed that ASEAN is now the third largest partner ofthe EU, behind the US and China .
ASEANconsumes 10.7 percent of the EU’s exported goods, and ships 9.4 percentof its exported products to Europe , he said, adding that theten-member regional grouping and its 600 million residents will continueto be an important partner to the EU in the 2013-2017 period.
The EU is also negotiating a FTA with Malaysia . It concludednegotiations with Singapore in December last year, and is pursuingnegotiations with other ASEAN member countries including thePhilippines and Thailand .
ASEAN or theAssociation of South-East Asian Nations consists of Brunei, Cambodia,Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand andVietnam.-VNA
