European Parliament member hails strong Vietnamese position

Czech member of the European Parliament Jan Zahradil (Photo: iDNES.cz).

A meeting between Zahradil and Vietnamese Ambassadors several EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, and Belgium, and leaders of the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe, was held on July 8 and July 9 in Mikulov in the Czec Republic’s South Morava region.

During the course of the meeting, Zahradil announced that the EP had approved the Indo-Pacific Strategy Report regarding trade and investment on July 5.

According to him, the report highlights the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, which is notable for accounting for 70% of global trade in goods and services and 60% of foreign direct investment, while also emphasising the importance of free trade agreements between the EU and its partners throughout the region.

Most notably, the report calls on EU member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to ensure the agreement swiftly comes into force and creates favourable conditions for the promotion of EU investment in the country and the region as a whole, including the green transition and circular economy.

Zahradil went on to assess that the nation holds a special position in the report as both a member of ASEAN and a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He also expressed his positive views on Vietnamese economic development achievements, especially the country’s GDP growth rate of 7.72% in the second quarter of the year and an inflation rate below 3%.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung thanked Zahradil for organising the meeting that created an opportunity to discuss the bilateral relationship between the nation and the bloc.

According to the Ambassador, the two sides are constantly interested in enhancing the joint comprehensive partnership and expanding co-operation across a variety of fields.

The EU is currently the country’s fifth largest trading partner and second largest importer, with bilateral trade turnover expanding by 14.8% in 2021 to hit US$63.6 billion, despite the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent media interview, Zahradil said the Vietnamese community residing in the Czech Republic is one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the EU, which makes people like him even more responsible for cultivating a strong relationship, as well as boosting Vietnam-EU relations.

Moreover, he went on to say that the nation has a very special position in Southeast Asia as it is the only country to sign a trade deal with the bloc in the form of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). This has helped the nation to take advantage of opportunities to achieve stronger development and stability.

He emphasised that the country and the Czech Republic have a strong long-standing traditional relationship. As the President of the EU Council from now until the end of the year, the Czech Republic has the opportunity to further promote bilateral and multilateral relations with Vietnam at a European level.