The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has helped elevate trade and investment ties between Vietnam and the EU since it took effect in August 2020. Giorgio Aliberti, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, writes about how the EVFTA has contributed to this cooperation, and concerns from the EU side regarding the implementation process.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Investment Protection Agreement are the most ambitious agreements in terms of market access, rules, and values ever concluded by the EU with a developing country.

The overwhelming positive vote of the Vietnamese National Assembly on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) confirms the strong Vietnamese commitment to the agreements and represents the completion of a journey started 10 years ago. It embodies an extraordinary step ahead in the relations between the European Union and Vietnam and it comes at a perfect time, as in a few months we will be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations.