Vietnamese PM pushes for signing of Vietnam-EU FTA in mid-2015Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has pushed for the signing of the Vietnam-European Union (EU) free trade agreement (FTA) in mid-2015, describing it as a key milestone to lift bilateral ties. While meeting with Chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee Bernd Lange in Hanoi on Tuesday, Dung said the European Parliament plays a key role in the FTA adoption, signing and enforcement monitoring, reported Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA.

The EU and Vietnam completed today the twelfth round of talks on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This time the talks were held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 23 to 27 March 2015.

Negotiating teams from EFTA and Vietnam met in Oslo from 26 to 29 May 2015 for a 12th round of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement.Deputy Director General Sveinung Røren from Norway acted as EFTA spokesperson, while the Vietnamese negotiating team was led by Director General Tran Trung Thuc.

Vietnam and the EU will continue the 12th round of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on March 24 in Hanoi, which is expected the last session before the negotiations are concluded and the agreement signed.The signing of the Agreement of Partnership and Cooperation and the EVFTA negotiations are positive signs in bilateral ties as Vietnam and the EU celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, said spokesman for the EC’s Trade Office Joseph Waldstein Wartenberg.

BRUSSELS (VNS) — Viet Nam is a friendly and reliable partner of the EU and the Free Trade Agreement being negotiated will promote growth for both sides, a senior European Commission official has said.Joseph Waldstein Wartenberg, spokesman for the EC's Trade Office, told the Vietnam News Agency reporter in Brussels that the signing of the Agreement of Partnership and Cooperation and the FTA negotiations are positive signs in bilateral ties as Viet Nam and the EU celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

Chief Negotiator of the EU, Mr. Mauro Petriccione, believes that as Vietnam is the first developing country to be involved in FTA negotiations with the EU, the bloc has taken into consideration the country’s development level and has shown flexibility in the negotiation process.

Ongoing European Union (EU)-Vietnam free trade negotiations are reaching a critical point. Although negotiations have advanced well so far, the most difficult part of the talks still lies ahead of Brussels and Hanoi, a hearing at the EU parliament revealed. Some idea of the likely carve-outs from trade liberalisation in this politically sensitive deal for both parties starts emerging.

The European Parliament (EP) heard reports on the progress of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in Brussels on February 24 ahead of the final round of negotiations to take place in Vietnam in March 2015. Chief Negotiator of the EU Mauro Petriccione noted that as Vietnam is the first developing country to get involved in FTA negotiations with the EU, the EU has taken into consideration Vietnam’s development level and has showed certain flexibility in the negotiation process. 

The Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), expected to be signed by October this year, would likely bring “win-win” opportunities of success for both sides’ business circles, according to experts at the business forum held recently in southern Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City.According to Jean-Jacques Bouflet, minister-counsellor and head of the Trade and Economic section of the EU delegation to Vietnam, the EU continued to be the most important market for many key exports of Vietnam.

HA NOI (VNS)  — Vietnamese officials, representatives from the European Union (EU) delegation and experts from Singapore, Thailand and the US attended a seminar in Ha Noi yesterday to discuss challenges in the implementation of the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement (VEFTA).During recent meetings, Vietnamese and EU leaders emphasised their political resolve to sign the deal in early 2015, according to chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.