farmers working in the countryside in Vietnam
The EU is seeking to broaden and diversify the agenda of its relationship with Vietnam, beyond development co-operation and trade, to increased political co-operation on issues of global concern.
Vietnam and the European Union are in the process of negotiating a new Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA), which would provide a comprehensive and ambitious framework for bilateral ties. Negotiations were launched during a visit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Hanoi in November 2007.
Vietnam is a key partner country within ASEAN and has acted as ASEAN facilitator in ongoing EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks.