Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanies businesses to expand agricultural, forestry and fishery exports to the EU

On November 13, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a workshop on "Promoting the export of Vietnamese agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the EU market" chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang.

Overview of the workshop "Promoting the export of Vietnamese agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the EU market" chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. (Photo: Thanh Long)

The workshop was attended by over 200 delegates in person and online, including leaders of several localities, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and associations and businesses in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

On the side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were representatives from the European Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese representative agencies in Europe.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang said that stable political and diplomatic relations and the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) continue to create an important foundation for Vietnam to expand its presence in the EU market in the context of increasing global trade competition.

The EU is currently the world's third largest market for agricultural, forestry and fishery products, but Vietnamese agricultural products only account for about 3% of the market share, even though Vietnam is among the top exporting countries for coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, rice, seafood and tropical fruits.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang speaks at the workshop. (Photo: Thanh Long)

The Deputy Minister asked delegates to discuss solutions to increase the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the EU in a stable and sustainable manner in the context of the EU increasingly strengthening strict regulations on green and environmental standards, and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The workshop took place in a lively atmosphere and received active participation from delegates. Representatives of localities, associations and businesses agreed with Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang's opinion on the need to change the mindset from raw exports to high-value exports, from large quantities to sustainable quality, in line with the high standards of the EU market, strengthening the building of national brands and green, clean products, meeting the tastes of European consumers, especially increasing the cultural content and Vietnamese stories in each product.

Vice Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Quynh Thien attended the meeting online. (Photo: Thanh Long)

The delegates' statements showed that although the EU is a very potential market, Vietnamese enterprises do not have enough capacity to meet the EU's technical, environmental and sustainable production standards, and the brand recognition of Vietnamese products in the EU market is not high. Vice Chairman of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Quynh Thien emphasized that enterprises must increase green transformation and adapt to the EU's sustainability standards.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri Province Le Duc Tien requested ministries and branches to increase information and guidance for businesses to meet these EU regulations. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa Province Dao Van Cuong mentioned the importance of products that suit local needs and tastes. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) shared the difficulties caused by Vietnam being given the "IUU yellow card", hoping to receive technical and technological support from the EU to improve its capacity to meet regulations on sustainable seafood exploitation.

Mr. Mai Hai Lam, Chairman of the “We love Pho” Network, hopes to have the support of embassies to support business development. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Mr. Mai Hai Lam, Chairman of the “We love Pho” Network, a Vietnamese businessman in Poland, believes that it is necessary to learn from the experiences of many countries in associating products with national brands and attractive cultural stories, and hopes to have the support of embassies and businesses in organizing Pho weeks across Europe.

Vietnamese representative agencies assess that the European market has high and stable purchasing power, favors organic products, which is suitable for Vietnam's strengths, but we are facing the risk of competition from other countries with the same product lines and need to innovate methods of promotion and trade promotion. Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to Belgium - EU Nguyen Van Thao said that the high requirements of the EU are both a challenge and an opportunity for Vietnamese agricultural, forestry and fishery products to increasingly meet international standards.

Ambassador, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to Belgium - EU Nguyen Van Thao delivered an online speech at the Workshop. (Photo: Thanh Long)

With the policy of "taking people and businesses as the center of service", Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to accompany localities, associations and businesses to access the EU market more effectively and will continue to discuss with EU authorities to remove obstacles and make the most of the opportunities brought by the EVFTA.

Accordingly, Vietnamese representative agencies need to proactively support businesses in accessing timely and complete information on EU market regulations and needs; further strengthen product promotion activities in diverse and creative forms and with connections between localities in Europe, maximizing resources and distribution channels of overseas Vietnamese; promote technical cooperation and green transformation, and support Vietnam's agriculture, forestry and fishery sector to meet green and sustainable standards.

The Deputy Minister hopes that localities and enterprises will proactively coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to actively promote the building of the Vietnamese national brand, associating each product with stories about the country and people of Vietnam in the journey to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to the world.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang and delegates attending the workshop. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bo-ngoai-giao-dong-hanh-cung-doanh-nghiep-mo-rong-xuat-khau-nong-lam-thuy-san-sang-eu-334292.html