Vietnam, EU Share View On Importance Of Sustainable Supply Chain, Food Security

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski have affirmed the need to step up economic and trade ties, especially amid complicated market uncertainties making it urgent to guarantee sustainable supply chains and food security.

At a recent meeting in Hanoi, Dien highly valued the EU’s close and effective coordination in the enforcement of the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He also applauded the deal’s positive effects on promoting bilateral trade, including the fast growth of Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports to the EU.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. (Photo: Tap Chi Cong Thuong)

Amid the necessity for diversifying supply sources to ensure food security, Vietnam holds many advantages and is able to provide agricultural and food products to the EU market, he noted. As Vietnamplus reported, the two sides discussed outstanding problems and worked on orientations and activities, particularly working together to implement the EVFTA more effectively.

The Vietnamese minister asked the EU to continue prioritizing technical and financial assistance as well as technology transfer for Vietnam so that the country can effectively carry out cooperation projects on capacity building with policies and production models that meet EU regulations and standards, including food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and other technical criteria.

Dien called for favorable conditions for production, examination, certification, and trading of products while encouraging EU investment in promising areas such as agricultural and food processing, and high-tech farming oriented towards a circular economy, green transition, and climate change adaptation.

In the first five months of 2022, bilateral trade rose 15% from a year earlier to 26.25 billion USD, including 19.59 billion USD in exports and 6.65 billion USD in imports from the EU.

Notably, as The World & Vietnam reported, exports of agro-forestry-fishery products, which benefit from considerable preferential treatment under the EVFTA, increased 37.5% to 2.05 billion USD, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Recently, Deputy PM Thanh met EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski on Monday in Hanoi. He said Vietnam wishes to expand collaboration with the bloc in agriculture, especially trade, investment, climate change adaptation, green agriculture, and the building of farm produce supply chains.

EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski (L) and Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh (R) in Hanoi on July 11, 2022. (Photo: VNA)

According to VOV News, the Deputy PM suggested the EU facilitate the export of Vietnamese agricultural and fishery products to the market and called on the EU Commissioner to encourage EU firms to invest in Vietnam, focusing on high-tech agriculture and farm produce processing.

Wojciechowski said the EU wants to import tropical agricultural products from Vietnam and expressed his support for the Vietnamese government in sustainable development and protection of agricultural production activities, especially small-scale farming.

He stressed the need to step up efforts towards sustainable development, smart agriculture, favorable nature, climate change adaptation, and global food security.

Deputy PM Thanh informed the EU Commissioner about Vietnam’s efforts to remove the EU’s 'yellow card' warning on Vietnam’s fishery sector and proposed the EU soon lift it.

Janusz Wojciechowski said that his trip to Vietnam and Singapore aims at promoting cooperation in agricultural and food trading within the frameworks of signed free trade agreements.

According to him, his working visit to Vietnam this time is also intended to facilitate trade in exchanges and agreements between European and Vietnamese businesses operating in the agri-food industry.

He expressed his hope that through a forum, the EU side will share information and experience, and support Vietnam in building agricultural development policies and models in a green, modern, and effective direction, and in reducing the impacts of climate change on agricultural activities.

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