Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Agriculture andRural Development Le Minh Hoan on October 1 suggested EU firms increaseinvestments in Vietnam’s agriculture, in the direction of high-technology,green standards and environmental sustainability.

At a working session with Ambassador Pier GiorgioAliberti, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, Hoan also called on the EU tohelp Vietnam improve capacity for its cooperatives and upgrade small-scaleagricultural production infrastructure.

Vietnam is gearing towards transparent, responsibleand green agriculture, and is making efforts to promote a quality-based andmultivalued agricultural sector, according to the minister.

He suggested FDI firms from the EU export machinery,equipment, technologies and materials to Vietnam.

For Vietnam’s exports to the EU, the official proposedthe EU send experts to Vietnam or establish a representative office in the SoutheastAsian country to supervise food safety before the shipment.

Hoan described the EU as a potential market for tropicalagricultural products, including those from Vietnam, noting that the EU-VietnamFree Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created more opportunities and momentum fortrade cooperation between the two sides.

In the first eight months of this year, Vietnam earned2.38 billion USD from agro-forestry-fishery export to the EU, up 8.11 percentyear-on-year. Its import value also reached 542 million VND, a rise of 2.24percent.

During the working session, Hoan also highlightedVietnam’s efforts in implementing recommendations by the European Commission (EC) to fight illegal,unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Combating the IUU fishing is a central task of theagricultural sector and an urgent need for Vietnam to help the country develop thefishery sector sustainably, demonstrate its responsibility and promote itsprestige in the international arena.

The ministered thanked the EU for its support toVietnam in this regard, and affirmed that Vietnam will make all-out efforts toimplement relevant recommendations.

He appealed to the EU to soon remove the “yellow card”warning imposed on Vietnam as soon as possible.

Hoan suggested the EU help Vietnam build smart coldchain logistics connecting the Mekong Delta and Southeastern localities withCai Mep-Thi Vai Port to boost Vietnam’s fruit export to Europe and the MiddleEast.  

For his part, Aliberti said after two years of realisingthe Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance andTrade (VPA/FLEGT), the two sides have cooperated and expected to have morein-depth, effective dialogues in the time ahead.

Vietnam will effectively implement the timber legalityassurance (VNTLAS), he believed.

The EU would provide Vietnam with technical assistanceto ensure cold storage for fruits and vegetables for export to the EU, he said,suggesting the two sides continue to seek solutions regarding animal and plant quarantine.

The minister and ambassador shared the view that thereis ample room for trade cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in agriculture./.