(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam and the European Union still have significant potential to deepen cooperation under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), according to the Vietnam-EU Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum 2025 held on Friday in Ho Chi Minh city.
 Foreign delegates at the Vietnam-EU Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum 2025, Ho Chi Minh City, October 17, 2025. (Photo: Le Hang/VOV) |
According to Vietnam Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and the EU rose from nearly 49 billion USD in 2019 – the year before the agreement came into force – to nearly 78 billion USD in 2024, marking an average annual increase of more than 10%.
Delegates suggested that the two sides expand cooperation in priority areas such as the green economy, digital economy, energy transition and sustainable development.
Do Duc Tuong, an energy expert at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said UNDP is ready to continue supporting Vietnam’s transition efforts.
“We support, for example, the development of a process to select projects that meet the criteria set out in the Just Energy Transition Program and help those projects connect with financial institutions. We have found that financial institutions and banks such as AFD, KfW, ADB and the European Development Bank are very interested in entering Vietnam and financing green projects here,” said Tuong.
A EuroCham survey showed that 76% of EU business leaders now view Vietnam as an attractive investment destination, with business confidence reaching its highest level in three years. Meanwhile, 80% of European companies in Vietnam expect strong growth over the next five years.