(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received Catherine Ashton, Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affair and Security Policy in Hanoi on Tuesday. He said that Vietnam values its relations with the EU and its member states and hopes that the EU will continue to foster relations between the two sides. He proposed that the EU quickly ratify the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and support early completion of Vietnam-EU FTA negotiations. He believes that the completion and ratification of the PCA and FTA agreement will further boost trade and investment ties between Vietnam and the EU. He also hoped that the EU will soon recognize as a market economy.

Catherine Ashton said that her visit and the upcoming visit by the EC President Manuel Barroso and frequent contacts between the two sides reflect the EU’s hope to foster ties with Vietnam. She officially announced the EU’s decision to increase 30% of its ODA for Vietnam over the next 5 years, which is reflective of its hope to support Vietnam’s development. She said that the EU wants to ratify the PCA and finalize FTA negotiations with Vietnam as soon as possible and that the two sides will work closely together to ensure that Vietnam meets all the necessary requirements for the EU to grant the market economy status to Vietnam.

Concerning the East Sea issue, she said the EC hopes for greater efforts by ASEAN to reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea with China, which will be an important legal basis to ensure peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region. Catherine Ashton said China’s claim with its 9-dotted map is unreasonable as it covers the entire East Sea, adding that China ignoring international law is the root cause and biggest threat to peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea and the region.