During President of the European Council António Costa’s visit to Hanoi on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 January, the European Union and Vietnam announced that they had concluded a strategic partnership based on “common interests and shared values of peace, security and prosperity in a rules-based international order”. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation “bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally” and achieve “practical outcomes” in the areas of trade, defence and security, and climate change.
Trade. Building on their free trade agreement, which entered into force in 2020, the EU and Vietnam are committed to continuing their economic, trade and financial cooperation. The parties intend to develop trade and investment opportunities in sectors such as critical raw materials, energy, the circular economy, logistics, transport and infrastructure.
They emphasise the importance of a favourable environment for such investment, through the implementation of transparent legislation, predictable market access and “open” procurement frameworks. In particular, the EU plans to provide Vietnam with technical support to improve its capacity to adapt to new EU policies and regulations on green and sustainable trade.
Defence, security and peace. The partners reaffirm “their full respect and adherence to international law” and “the settlement of disputes through peaceful means, [...] without the threat or use of force”, reiterating their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and freedom of navigation. These declarations are particularly important against a backdrop of rising tensions in the South China Sea, linked to Chinese territorial claims disputed by Vietnam and the Philippines.
Security cooperation will include the fight against terrorism and organised crime, in particular human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime and economic and environmental crime. The two parties wish to “further enhance cooperation in legal and judicial matters” in order to “respect, protect, fulfil and promote human rights”. The EU-Vietnam Joint Committee’s Sub-Committee on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights will ensure that these commitments are implemented.
Sustainable development and climate. The EU and Vietnam also intend to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and work together on the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, a massive investment plan to promote sustainable infrastructure worldwide. On the climate front, the two parties “will pursue efforts to limit the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”.
The partnership incorporates the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with the aim of “decarbonising the power sector, including by transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner”.
Science, technology and academic exchanges. Finally, cooperation will extend to research and innovation, notably through the ‘Horizon Europe’ framework programme. New opportunities in education and training, related to schemes such as Erasmus+, should also emerge.
In the joint declaration published the same day by the European Commission, the EU and Vietnam welcomed the “outstanding achievements of bilateral relations in all fields over the past 35 years” and the elevation of their collaboration “to new heights“.
Full declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/kh0 (Original version in French by Justine Manaud and Pauline Denys)