EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier affirmed that Vietnam is a reliable and priority partner of the EU in the Asia -Pacific region; and highly appreciated Vietnam's increasing role and position.
On the afternoon of April 24, at the Party Central Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam received the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam, Julien Guerrier.
During the meeting, General Secretary To Lam highly appreciated the sentiments, role, and contributions of the EU Ambassador and the EU Delegation to Vietnam in developing Vietnam-EU relations.
The General Secretary expressed confidence that, with the efforts of both sides, the Vietnam-EU relationship will be further strengthened, made more substantive, and developed to a new level.
Affirming that the EU is one of the top important partners in Vietnam's foreign policy, the General Secretary expressed satisfaction at the dynamic and comprehensive development of bilateral relations across all fields after 35 years of establishing diplomatic relations (1990-2025).
The two sides are implementing four cooperation agreements and eight dialogue mechanisms, ranging from political-diplomatic and trade-investment to defense-security. After five years of implementation, the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created new momentum for bilateral trade, making Vietnam the EU's largest trading partner in ASEAN, and the EU its fourth largest trading partner and sixth largest investor. Two-way trade turnover is projected to reach nearly US$70 billion in 2024, while EU investment in Vietnam is expected to exceed US$30 billion.
Expressing his honor and sincere gratitude to General Secretary To Lam for taking the time to receive him, Ambassador Julien Guerrier congratulated Vietnam on its development achievements after 50 years of national reunification, affirming that Vietnam is a reliable and priority partner of the EU in the Asia-Pacific region; and highly appreciated Vietnam's increasing role and position, especially as Vietnam enters a new era.
Discussing measures to promote Vietnam-EU relations, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that 2025 is a year of special significance for both sides, marking 35 years of cooperation and development.
In the context of the current challenging global geopolitical and trade situation, more than ever, both sides need to strengthen cooperation, consolidate political trust, enhance thorough exchanges, and agree on a roadmap to elevate bilateral relations to a new level in a substantive, high-quality manner, harmonizing the interests of both sides; promote exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts; and continue to implement the EVFTA Agreement more effectively to boost Vietnam-EU trade and investment.
The General Secretary affirmed that Vietnam advocates multilateralism, diversification, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners, including the EU and its member states, promoting balanced and sustainable trade and investment cooperation, and working towards achieving common sustainable development goals.
On that basis, the General Secretary welcomed the EU's interest in cooperating with Vietnam in the fields of green transformation, digital transformation, sustainable development, science and technology, innovation, renewable energy, sustainable transport infrastructure, defense industry, human resource training, law, etc., and suggested that the two sides coordinate to resolve trade obstacles within the framework of the EVFTA Agreement, agreeing on the need to cooperate to improve the efficiency of using EU development aid for Vietnam.
The General Secretary affirmed that Vietnam is steadfast in its goal of sustainable development, and all policies and guidelines of the Party and State are aimed at serving the people. Emphasizing the importance of cooperation in education and training, and people-to-people and youth exchanges between Vietnam and the EU, General Secretary To Lam suggested that both sides consider and facilitate visa procedures for citizens of each side.
Regarding international and regional issues, the General Secretary affirmed that Vietnam is a peace-loving nation and an active and responsible member of the international community in resolving regional and global issues.
General Secretary To Lam and the Ambassador agreed that both Vietnam and the EU need to maintain peace and stability in the region and the world for development, and that cooperation within the ASEAN-EU framework is necessary to ensure peace and stability in the East Sea, a region of strategic importance to global trade.
Sharing the General Secretary's views on science, technology, and innovation as resources for development and prosperity, the Ambassador affirmed that the EU wishes to support Vietnam in achieving its goal of becoming a developed country by 2045 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the EU also wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of infrastructure, transport, renewable energy, aerospace, telecommunications, and green transformation.
The ambassador stated that the EU and Vietnam share a common interest in ensuring that the international trade system and supply chains remain uninterrupted, guaranteeing stable growth and prosperity for each country.
On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam congratulated the Ambassador and the EU Delegation on the occasion of Europe Day (May 9); affirming that Vietnamese ministries and agencies will actively coordinate and support the Ambassador in successfully completing his term of service in Vietnam.
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