(VOV/VOVworld)- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU delegation to Vietnam held a seminar on Tuesday with the theme: “Partnership and Cooperation Agreement’, PCA - a new framework for Vietnam-EU relations”. The seminar heralds in a new era in bilateral relations between Vietnam and the EU. Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son underlined the meeting’s importance ‘The agreement will not only expand Vietnam and the EU’s relationship in development, economics and trade, education and training, science, and technology but will also cover cooperation at regional and international forums. Bilateral relations have great prospects ahead of them and the PCA contributes a great deal in shaping Vietnam – the EU relationship in the future. Our mission is to ensure the PCA produces tangible results that benefit all concerned and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.’

Dr Franz Jessen is Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam ‘the new PCA demonstrates the commitment of the UE support on upgrading broader and more mature partnership with Vietnam. The partner we are taking increasingly responsibility on the world we have ever seen and an active and central actor of ASEAN and particularly a dynamic economy. The new PCA is based on sharing interests and principles. We are working new areas in bilateral relations. We look forward to the trade and investment principles that are established in the PCA being competed soon by ambitious free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU’.

Since both parties first established diplomatic ties in 1990, relations between Vietnam and the EU have developed rapidly, changing from trade and aid to an exciting diverse partnership.  The new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed this June to replace the 2005 agreement, is in the process of being approved by EU member states before being submitted to the European Parliament to be ratified.