(VOVworld) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with 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.

Minh thanked the European Commission for its committed non-refundable aid totaling 400 million Euros for Vietnam for the 2014-2020 period. The two sides agreed to increase contacts, delegation exchanges, consultations, and cooperation at regional and global forums and create favorable conditions for each other’s businesses to do long term business in their markets. Vietnam and the EU agreed to strengthen cooperation in education, technology, the environment, climate change response, security, and defense. Deputy Prime Minister Minh asked the EU to quickly ratify the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and promote early completion of FTA negotiations with Vietnam. Catherine Ashton said Vietnam-EU relations have progressed in various areas in recent years. She also confirmed EU continued development assistance for Vietnam: "The free trade agreement will bring free opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, granting preferential market access to your exports to the EU. Negotiators are making good progress, although acceleration of talks will be required to complete the agreement before the end of the year."

The two sides discussed issues of multilateral cooperation including security and safety in the East Sea. The EU hopes that all parties will seek peaceful solutions through dialogue and cooperation in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Catherine Ashton also praised Vietnam’s role in ASEAN and hoped that Vietnam will continue to participate in international activities, particularly the UN peacekeeping mission.

She told the media after the talks that the EU will continue to support Vietnam and push FTA negotiations with Vietnam.