As the coordinating country for economic cooperation between ASEAN and the EU, Viet Nam always supports the two blocs to promote and deepen their trade and investments ties towards new heights, said PM Nguyen Tan Dung at the 3rd ASEAN-EU Business Summit opened on March 9 in Ha Noi.
The 3rd ASEAN-EU Business Summit is an important part of the 19th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat and the 12th Economic Ministers and EU Trade Commissioner (AEM-EU) Consultations, drawing the participation of EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht, ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Ministers and more than 700 business representatives from the two blocs.
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PM Nguyen Tan Dung gives the opening speech to the 3rd ASEAN-EU Business Summit, Ha Noi, March 9, 2013
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The Summit is expected to be a chance for the ASEAN and EU business communities to enhance their cooperation, linkage and exchange as well as make proposals to ASEAN and EU agencies.
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Trade turnover between ASEAN and the EU stood at US$ 234.8 billion in 2011. FDI from the EU to ASEAN increased 7.2%, reaching US$18.2 billion. In 2012, the EU became the 3rd biggest trade partner and the biggest FDI provider of ASEAN.
For Viet Nam, the EU is the 2nd biggest trade partner and the top export market. In 2012, the two-way trade turnover between Viet Nam and the EU was US$29.1 billion, in which Viet Nam’s export to the EU reached US$20.3 billion. Viet Nam mainly exports footwear, garments, coffee, wood products and aquaproducts to the EU. Up to October 2012, the EU had 1,781 FDI projects in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of US$33.4 billion. EU investors have involved in most of major economic branches in Viet Nam, especially industry and construction.
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In his opening speech to the Summit, PM Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that the construction of the ASEAN Community with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as a mainstay is the bloc’s top goal.
The AEC will surely facilitate the movement of investment capital flows and trade exchanges as well as create good opportunities for enterprises to expand business activities, said PM Dung.
Sparing no effort to integrate into regional and global partnerships, ASEAN always places importance on cooperation with the EU for sustainable development and prosperity, the Vietnamese Government chief stated.
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PM Nguyen Tan Dung and heads of the delegations to the 3rd ASEAN-EU Business Summit, Ha Noi, March 9, 2013
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At present, the EU and some ASEAN member countries, including Viet Nam, have been negotiating for the ASEAN-EU Free Trade Area (FTA) to lay the foundation for their comprehensive cooperation in the future.
Over the past 18 years, Viet Nam has always been an active member of ASEAN, said PM Dung, adding that the country now becomes an important gateway for international investors to penetrate into ASEAN and expand their business activities here.
“We welcome and encourage the participation of the business community into joint efforts of ASEAN and the EU in further consolidating the interrelationship between the two blocs. Effective business and investment activities of the business community will be the solid foundation and important contribution to successful ASEAN–EU cooperation”, emphasized PM Dung./.