Round Table Conference on the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement

It`s an honour to me as Rector of UNWE to accept the invitation by the Ambassador of the SR of Vietnam H. E. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong Oanh to organize a Round Table Conference related to the forthcoming signing of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement because our university has educated Vietnamese students for decades. It led to the establishment of strong and lasted friendly relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam. The present Vice President of Vietnam as well as the Chairperson of the National Assembly of the country who is also former Vice Prime Minister have graduated from the UNWE. These were the words the Rector Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev opened the Round Table Conference.

The participants in the Round Table Conference are not occasionally selected. Assoc. Prof. Plamen Oresharsky was a Prime Minister when several agreements between both countries were signed. Margarita Popova is also a great friend of Vietnam. A number of topics about the relations between Bulgaria – Vietnam are discussed with Lachezar Borisov, said Prof. Stattev.

The Commercial Advisor at the Embassy of Vietnam Nguyen Thái Hoà said that his country had insisted for setting out in the EU – Vietnam Agreement the dropping out of import duties for 85.6% of goods and 7 years after the Agreement had come into force to be dropped out the import duties for 99.25 of goods. Vietnam relies on the Bulgarian support about it, declared the Commercial Advisor.

The Deputy Minister Lachezar Borisov expressed his contentment that the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is discussed during the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. According to him an economic progress is observed in a global plan and a tendency of e-trade development removing many obstacles is marked.

Vietnam occupies the 20^th place as a leading importer in our country and it is a modest share, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paskal Zhelev, Secretary General for International Cooperation. He made a detailed review of the external trade relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam over the years.