EU-Vietnam to start negotiations for new co-operation deal
30 May '07
2 min read
Relations with Vietnam have been expanding during the last few years, in particular following the adoption of Vietnam's “Master Plan” for its future relations with the European Union in 2005. The “Master Plan” is Vietnam's first official strategy for a bilateral relationship and indicates the direction of future co-operation between the two sides.
EU-Vietnam relations are booming, with bilateral trade increasing with 18% to reach €8,75 billion in 2006. Vietnam is set to benefit further from a future EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement – the decision to launch negotiations was taken only earlier this month. The EU as a whole also remains one of the leading donors of development assistance to Vietnam, pledging more than €700 million for 2007 to be targeted mainly on poverty alleviation activities.
During the meeting, human rights issues were also discussed. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner raised EU concerns with regard to the recent arrests and sentencing of peaceful human rights defenders. The European Commission encourages the Vietnamese Government to ensure that the right to freedom of expression and association is respected, and that different political views can to be expressed freely.
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