(VOVworld) – Vietnam and the European Union on Monday issued a joint statement on the occasion of the 2-day official visit to Vietnam by EC President José Manuel Durão Barroso.

During talks, Vietnamese leaders and Barroso highly appreciated the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between Vietnam and the EU as a qualitative leap in the bilateral partnership that allowed the broadening and deepening of relations beyond the traditional areas of trade and development to include areas such as environment and climate change, human rights, science and technology, transportation, tourism, energy, education, culture, peace, and security. President Barroso underlined the commitment of the EU to its relations with Viet Nam, appreciating Viet Nam's role as an important EU partner and a key player in ASEAN and the world. The leaders welcomed the continued expansion of bilateral trade and the EU's position as Viet Nam's largest export market and 2^nd largest trade partner. President Barroso expressed his belief that Vietnam will continue to be an attractive destination for foreign investors, including European investors and businesses, and that both sides will conclude the negotiations towards a Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement swiftly. The EU and Vietnam agreed to intensify the market economy status process which will enable Viet Nam to qualify for the status as soon as possible towards a mutually beneficial and equal partnership.  

Both sides agreed on further encouraging and facilitating Vietnamese and European businesses to step up investment, and business and establish partnerships, particularly in industry, infrastructure, transportation, energy, finance, services, health, space applications, and tourism. Baroso promised EU’s continued support for Vietnam’s Renewal process, including development assistance.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reaffirmed support for EU's greater involvement in ASEAN-led regional architecture and applauded EU's recent doubling of assistance to ASEAN to 170 million euro in the 2014-2020 period. Both sides agreed to work closely to further ASEAN-EU relationship.    

EC President José Manuel Durão Barroso and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (Photo: VNA)

The two leaders discussed tensions in the East Sea and agreed that territorial disputes must be settled peacefully in a spirit of cooperation and respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. Barroso reiterated the EU's backing for a political-diplomatic process and the rights of claimants to seek peaceful resolutions of disputes in accordance with international law, including legal dispute settlement mechanisms. Barroso also affirmed the EU's support of ongoing efforts to work towards a formal and legally binding Code of Conduct. While hoping that these discussions can be completed as soon as possible, the EU urged all parties to avoid actions that escalate tensions, threaten regional peace and stability or maritime security and safety, and do not conform with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.