VN, Romania discuss ways to boost trade ties in post-coronavirus period

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Romanian Minister of economy, energy and business environment Virgil - Daniel Popescu hold a phone call on May 15, 2020.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Romanian Minister of economy, energy and business environment Virgil - Daniel Popescu made that statement during a phone call on May 15.

Both sides discussed and assessed the outcomes of the cooperative activities between the two nations in the spheres of economics, trade and investment.

The EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) were approved by the European Parliament when Romania presided over Presidency of the Council of the European Union while these two agreements are scheduled to be ratified at the Vietnamese National Assembly in May 2020.

The two Ministers affirmed that the two nations will continue taking the lead in bringing these agreements into effect, creating practical effectiveness for their business communities.

As the EVFTA comes into force, it will bring more opportunities for boosting trade and investment ties between Viet Nam and the EU in general and the bilateral relationship between Viet Nam and Romania, in particular.

Minister Virgil-Daniel Popescu expressed his hope that Viet Nam will continue providing face masks as an effort to support Romania in COVID-19 fight.

For his side, Anh committed to joining hands with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and other Viet Nam’s firms operating in medical equipments to maintain sustainable supply for Romania.

According to the statistics of the Vietnamese General Department of Customs, the two-way trade value hit US$261.3 million in 2019, up 19.7% against the previous year.

In the first quarter of this year, the bilateral trade turnover saw a year-on-year increase of 9.7%, reaching US$73 million.

By Thuy Dung