The event was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung and Director for Asia and Pacific in the European External Action Service (EEAS) Gunnar Wiegand.
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Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) |
At the meeting, the two sides reviewed their cooperation since their first meeting in May 2019, highlighting the cooperation outcomes of the four sub-committees under the framework of the E.U.- Vietnam Joint Committee, while outlining orientations for future cooperation.
They expressed their wish to further expand the strategic cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the E.U. through promoting delegation exchanges at all levels, maintaining existing cooperation and dialogue mechanisms, and boosting closer coordination in the effective implementation of the EVFTA. They also agreed to urge E.U. member countries' parliaments to quickly ratify the E.U.-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to help the two sides move forward their economic recovery.
The two sides consented to further enhance cooperation in surmounting the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations, and dealing with non-traditional security issues, marine security challenges and climate change.
The EEAS Managing Director announced the E.U.'s priorities for cooperation in such areas as climate change adaptation and digital transformation and highly appreciated Vietnam's positions as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council for 2020-2021 and the ASEAN Chair 2020.
The E.U. affirmed its support for maintaining maritime and aviation security and safety, and upholding the law in the East Sea (South China Sea), and appreciated Vietnam's position in the region. They also emphasized the increasingly important role of ASEAN in maintaining peace, stability, security and defense in the region.
The meeting approved a joint press release and agreed that the next Joint Committee meeting will take place in Hanoi next year.
Translated by Trung Thanh