Brussels (VNA) –Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue held talkswith President of the European Parliament (EP) David Sassoli in Brussels,Belgium, on September 8.

Welcoming the Vietnameseleader, Sassoli highly valued the country’s role in the region, stressing theEP and Vietnam share common interests in multiple areas and that the EP wants toenhance all-round cooperation with the country in such fields as trade andinvestment, COVID-19 prevention and control, and response to climate change,including challenges to water resources, saltwater intrusion, and drought.

Hue affirmed that the European Union (EU) is apartner of leading importance in Vietnam’s foreign and internationalintegration policies.

The two sides have maintainedhigh-level meetings; signed and effectively implemented many importantcooperation agreements such as the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnershipand Cooperation Agreement (PCA), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the FrameworkParticipation Agreement (FPA); and maintained regular cooperation and dialoguecooperation mechanisms, thereby helping to lift the Vietnam - EU comprehensivepartnership and cooperation, including the ties between the Vietnamese NA andthe EP, to a new height, according to the Chairman.

At the talks, the two leadersdiscussed issues to further intensify the two parliaments’ ties so as to helpdevelop Vietnam - EU relations more strongly for the sake of both sides.

To promote economic and tradelinks comprehensively, Hue expressed his hope that the EP will help promote itsmember parliaments’ ratification of the EU - Vietnam Investment ProtectionAgreement (EVIPA) to step up investment cooperation while continuing tofacilitate the implementation of the EVFTA.

Regarding collaboration in theCOVID-19 combat, he thanked the EP, relevant agencies of the EU, andparliamentarians’ groups in the EP for supporting and assisting Vietnam in thefight. He also echoed the EP’s viewpoint that only solidarity, sharing, andconfidence of victory can help people address the pandemic’s consequences andreturn to a “new normal” life.

Particularly, Huesaid, as the pandemic is developing more complicatedly, it requires strongerinter-regional (between ASEAN and the EU) and global cooperation to continue maintainingachievements in socio-economic development.

He also voiced his hope thatthe EP will accelerate vaccine supply from Europe via the COVAXFacility and sharing of redundant vaccines, along with medical supplies and COVID-19 drugs, and cooperate with thecountry in vaccine production.

Vietnam is ready to makeall-round preparations to become a regional vaccine production centre, the top Vietnamese legislatoremphasised.

He also took this occasion toask the EP to support the removal of the “yellow card” warning onillegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing against Vietnam’s fishery sectorto help guarantee livelihoods for Vietnamese fishermen. He stated that thecountry has been exerting every effort to deal with the problem and gainedpositive outcomes.

With regard to bilateral parliamentarycooperation, the NA Chairman held that the achievements obtained so far shouldbe promoted, and both sides should increase contacts at all levels.

Given this, he invited the EPPresident to visit Vietnam to discuss issues of common concern, including theestablishment of practical and effective cooperation frameworks between the twoparliaments.

For his part, Sassoli saidthe EVFTA is an exemplary cooperation model, adding that the EP has ratifiedthe EVIPA and is promoting the remaining member parliaments’ ratification.

The EP sympathises withVietnam’s current difficulties and will strive to seek vaccine and medicalsupplies for the country’s fight against COVID-19 as soon as possible, henoted.

The two leaders shared theview that relations between the Vietnamese NA and the EP are flourishing inboth bilateral and multilateral channels, agreeing to increase the exchange of all-leveldelegations and share information and experience in parliamentary activities.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on issues related to international peace,security, and cooperation and underlined the role of international law and the1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in settlingdisputes and maintaining security, safety, and freedom of navigation andoverflight.

They also agreed to closelycoordinate and make active contributions to regional and international forums.

Following the talks, Hue received heads of the EP’s Committee on International Trade (INTA), the delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN (DASE),the EP’s parliamentary friendship group. They looked into measures toreinforce ties in areas of common interest, including trade and EVFTAimplementation./.