In a bid to deepen their partnership, Vietnam and the European Union have committed to enhanced cooperation on sustainable development and climate change. The pledge came during a meeting between the Vietnamese Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment and the EU Ambassador.
On the morning of September 15, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang met with Mr. Julien Guerrier, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Vietnam, discussing openly and candidly on new commitments to boost bilateral cooperation in agriculture, trade, and environmental protection.
Acting Minister Thang stated, "The cooperation between Vietnam and the EU has achieved many important results, especially in agriculture, agricultural development, and environmental protection. We highly appreciate the EU's support, particularly its projects on climate change, sustainable agriculture, and ecological transition”.
Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang receives European Union (EU) Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier in Hanoi on the morning of September 15. Photo: Khuong Trung.In response, the EU Ambassador highlighted that agricultural trade between Vietnam and the EU has grown by approximately 40% over the past five years, affirming the great potential of their bilateral cooperation. The ambassador expressed the EU's desire to work with Vietnam to promote more technical assistance and sustainable development projects while continuing to collaborate on climate change response, green agriculture, and emission reduction.
During the meeting, Ambassador Guerrier noted that legal procedures still pose many challenges to promoting agricultural and other forms of cooperation between the EU and Vietnam. Acting Minister Thang frankly acknowledged these difficulties, noting that many documents related to the import and export of agricultural products between the two sides have faced delays, which has hindered collaboration.
The EU Ambassador acknowledged this feedback, adding that improving procedures and shortening licensing times would help both sides better leverage the EVFTA, thereby strongly boosting two-way trade.
Ambassador Guerrier praised Vietnam's goodwill and affirmed the EU's desire for closer cooperation in key sectors. The EU expressed particular interest in large-scale programs to promote trade and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The ambassador expressed hope that Vietnam would make breakthroughs in the near future to have the "yellow card" status lifted.
Overview of the meeting between the two sides on the morning of September 15. Photo: Khuong Trung.Acting Minister Thang responded by stating that Vietnam considers the EU an important partner and a gateway to ASEAN and the international community. Regarding trade, he affirmed that Vietnam would provide maximum support for EU goods entering the domestic market.
Continuing on the topic of fighting IUU fishing, the acting minister said it is a complex, long-standing issue involving 21 coastal provinces. He stated that Vietnam has tightened the management of fishing licenses and hopes for EU support to have the "yellow card" removed in 2025.
Beyond immediate concerns, Acting Minister Thang also affirmed Vietnam's desire to learn from the EU's experience in responding to climate change, sustainable forest development, reducing urban pollution, and working toward a Net Zero emissions goal.
The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to continue working closely together and to utilize existing cooperation mechanisms, especially the EVFTA, to deepen the Vietnam-EU relationship. This collaboration aims to contribute to shared goals of sustainable agriculture, a green environment, and improved quality of life for their citizens.