Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong visited Belgium and the European Union last week to promote agricultural cooperation with the two partners.

At the four-day visit ending last Saturday, he also demonstrated Viet Nam’s efforts in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Through a series of meetings, the Vietnamese minister urged the European Union to lift the yellow card, which was imposed on Viet Nam on October 23, 2017, due to its failure to meet the requirements on IUU fishing prevention.

In his meeting with Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Cuong reported about the current implementation of the European Union’s recommendations on anti-IUU fishing in Viet Nam, highlighting concerted efforts of the entire nation and challenges facing the effort.

Cuong expressed hope of improved cooperation between Viet Nam and the European Union in fighting IUU fishing and carrying out the Voluntary Partnership Agreement in line with the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The minister also had a working session with Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, during which he stressed the European Union’s significant role in Viet Nam’s farming sector in terms of partnership, investment and knowledge-technical transfer.

Highlighting the importance of the European Union- Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Cuong suggested both sides to soon ratify the pact to boost trade, particularly of agro-fishery-forestry products.

Cuong asked the European Union to consider practical conditions for developing countries such as Viet Nam during its assessment and inspection of the seafood safety control system.

Regarding measures to implement the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, both the host and guest agreed to hold more dialogues to discuss the document content and implementation of SPS regulations in EVFTA.

Both the commissioners acknowledged and lauded Viet Nam’s drastic efforts in increasing laws and policies to counter IUU fishing and monitor food safety. They said the efforts would help stimulate the growth of comprehensive bilateral partnership and facilitate EVFTA’s signing and ratification.

The European Union announced it would send a technical team to Viet Nam in May to review the country’s actions against IUU fishing.

In another meeting with Alain Cadec, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, Cuong talked about the measures employed by Viet Nam to deter IUU fishing and asked for Cadec’s support, in addition to the support of the European Union, to make the process more effective.

While in Brussels, the minister met Belgium’s Federal Minister for Agriculture Denis Ducarme to beef up farming cooperation with the European country.

Both ministers agreed to promote investment collaboration in agriculture, with Cuong suggesting the Belgian side to assist Viet Nam in meeting standards and regulations of the country as well as the European Union.

Ducarme said Belgium prioritised collaboration with Viet Nam and expressed belief that bilateral farming engagements would expand in future. — VNS