Party congress an occasion to show reform determination: EU chief (24/04)
06/08/2010 - 189 Lượt xem
European Commissioner for External Relations Ferrero-Waldner, who had an official visit to Vietnam from April 21-23 at the invitation of Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, made the remark at a press conference in Hanoi on April 22.
She noted that Vietnam had sped up its reform process and the EU wanted to help the country to reach its reform goals.
According to her, the party congress will also be a chance to assess the potential to advance the cooperation between Vietnam and the EU to a new height, not only in trade and investment but also in other fields as well.
Ferrero-Waldner praised Vietnam's social and economic achievements, as well as its poverty reduction and reform process.
"I am impressed… because [Vietnam] has really already cut poverty by at least a third, and you have had sustained growth. Therefore, I think you are a model case," she said.
EU has a great interest in the future development of Vietnam, the commissioner also said.
Following WTO rules
The EU was just “following the rules [of the World Trade Organization]” when it imposed anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese footwear imports, Ferrero-Waldner said.
“The WTO brings rights but also obligations, and anti-dumping rules have to be applied,” said Ferrero-Waldner, mentioning Vietnam’s hope to join the world trade body soon.
But she stressed that the EU “has been looking with comprehension and understanding at the difficult situation of Vietnam."
The objective of the decision was not to limit the export of Vietnam's footwear to the EU market, but to ensure fair prices, she explained.
The EU also recognized the great importance of footwear for the Vietnamese economy, therefore, the bloc had tried to limit the impacts of the sanctions, Ferrero-Waldner said.
Source: VNA
