Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was speaking this while receiving a delegation from the EP Committee on Fisheries led by Gabriel Mato, MEP and committee spokesperson in Hanoi on October 29.

He said with confidence that the delegation’s visit will make a contribution to reinforcing the two sides’ relations in the future.

PM Phuc told the EP delegation that the two sides have maintained the regular exchange of high-level delegations and contacts, including his recent visit to the EU, during which Phuc met with the EP President and the President of the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament (INTA) to discuss a host of measures to boost comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in a substantive way.

Appreciating the European Commission (EC)'s official approval of the submission to the European Council for ratification of the formal signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Vietnamese government leader emphasized the EP's important role in the EU decision-making mechanism. Therefore, Vietnam wishes to receive support from the EP, Mr Gabriel Mato and his delegation in accelerating the signing and ratification of the trade deal as soon as possible.

For his part, Gabriel Mato highlighted the sound relationship in diverse spheres between Vietnam and the EU and affirmed his delegation members’ readiness to back the ratification of the EVFTA.

His delegation’s visit is designed to learn about Vietnam’s recent efforts to control illegal fishing and to share EU experience in this work as well as assuring the EU’s willingness to cooperate with all countries in this field, he added.

On behalf of the delegation, he applauded the country’s efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including promulgating and carrying out numerous important legal regulations.

Gabriel Mato voiced his hope that the delegation’s activities in Vietnam will yield positive results which will serve as the foundation for the EC to remove of its “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood soon, thus helping to further advance bilateral cooperation.

The EP delegation also highly valued Vietnam as an important trade and political partner for Europe in general and for each EU member nation in particular, while expressing support for free trade and looking forward to the early signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), thereby promoting economic and trade links and cross-cultural exchange between the two sides.

PM Phuc said that his country considers the EC’s “yellow card” warning an opportunity to stimulate the fisheries sector’s sustainable and responsible development.

A score of synchronous measures are being taken in Vietnam in a bid to deal with the warning in an effective and suitable manner. The country promulgated the Law on Fisheries on November 21, 2017, made  sub-law documents, and realized a national action program on IUU fishing combat, and stepped up the dissemination of legal regulations to fishermen, Phuc told his guests.

He asked the delegation to help push for the EC’s removal of its warning label, and affirmed that the Government will provide optimal conditions for the delegation.

Regarding the freshly-signed Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) between Vietnam and the EU, PM Phuc urged the EP to soon endorse the agreement in order to facilitate the export of Vietnam’s timber and wood products to the EU towards delivering bigger benefits in economics and environmental protection to both sides.

The cabinet leader also welcomed the EP’s recent statements and resolutions on the East Sea issue and maritime security, asking the EP to continue backing the settlement of disputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Source: vov.vn