Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) ChairwomanNguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s upcoming working trip to the European Parliament (EP) isexpected to help develop friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese NAand parliaments of EU member countries.

During the visit, made at the invitation of EP PresidentAntonio Tajani, the Vietnamese top legislator will discuss parliamentary collaborationbetween Vietnam and the EP and EU member countries, as well as the ties betweenthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU. Bilateral,regional and international issues of common concern will also be tabled.

The trip is the first made by a Vietnamese NA leader to theEP after eight years.

Vietnam and the EU established official diplomatic relationson November 28, 1990. In 1996, the European Commission (EC) set up itsrepresentative mission in Hanoi.

The two sides have maintained several cooperationmechanisms, including the annual political consultation at deputy foreignministerial level; Vietnam-EU Joint Committee; and Vietnam-EU human rightsdialogue.

Vietnam and the EU have coordinated closely at multilateralforums and international organisations, especially within the framework of theASEAN-EU cooperation mechanism, the ASEM and the UN, and in addressing globalissues such as climate change, sustainable development, energy security,counter-terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and illegalmigration.

In 2017, EU was the third biggest trade partner of Vietnamafter China and the US, and was the second biggest importer of products fromthe Southeast Asian nation.

Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain,Austria and Belgium are Vietnam’s largest export markets in the EU, with annualturnover exceeding 1 billion USD each. Vietnam’s main exports to the marketsare textiles and garment, footwear, coffee, seafood, computers, and phonecomponents.

The two sides have completed their negotiations of the EU-VietnamFree Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The relations between the Vietnamese NA and the EP have beengrowing robustly to become an important pillar in the Vietnam – EU ties.Regular delegation exchanges, dialogues, and meetings between parliamentariansat multilateral parliamentary forums have contributed significantly to thesides’ engagement. The two parliaments also established their bilateralfriendship parliamentarians’ groups.

The NA Chairwoman’s visit to the EP is part of her trip fromMarch 28 to April 8, which also includes official visits to Morocco and Franceand attendance at the 140th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) andrelated meetings in Doha, Qatar.-VNA