At the occasion Federica Mogherini said: "This Agreement allows Viet Nam to participate in the European Union’s missions and operations. We have 16 of them around the world and I understand that Viet Nam has already expressed an interest in looking into the possibility of participating in one of our training missions in Africa. This would add an enormous potential to our already-strong cooperation on security and defence issues, which we discussed during my last visit to Hanoi. And I am sure that this will contribute to strengthening the overall European Union-Vietnam, but also the European Union-ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and EU-Asia cooperation in this field".

The EU missions and operations deployed outside the Union are the most visible EU commitment to a rules-based multilateral approach to international peace and security. The signing of this Agreement with Viet Nam is a significant step forward in our relations and shows an elevated ambition from both the European Union and Viet Nam to implement effectively their defence and security cooperation partnership, which had been discussed during the visit to Hanoi of the High Representative/Vice-President in August. Viet Nam becomes the second partner country in Asia to sign a Framework Participation Agreement with the European Union, after the Republic of Korea, and the first in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

https://twitter.com/MajaEUspox/status/1184755299518996480

With the signature of this Framework Participation Agreement today the EU and Viet Nam have committed themselves to address shared security challenges in Asia and elsewhere. The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) provides the Union with the operational capacity to deploy both civilian missions and military operations, while Framework Participation Agreements constitute an important way for the EU to strengthen the involvement of our partners in this area. CSDP missions and operations are a unique instrument in  allowing for direct action to manage a conflict or crisis and to focus on goals such as rule of law reform, stabilisation, fighting organised crime, and reform of the security sector. This is done at the request of the country to which assistance is being provided and always in full respect of international law. So far, the EU operates 10 civilian missions and 6 military operations, which can include contributions of third States through the conclusion of Framework Participation Agreements. Including the Agreement signed today with Viet Nam, the EU now has Framework Participation Agreements in place with 19 partner countries.

See also

• Remarks by HR/VP Federica Mogherini at the signing ceremony of the EU-Viet Nam Framework Participation Agreement
• Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam establishing a framework for the p
• EU-Vietnam - Framework Participation Agreement
• EU Asia Security
• Website of the European Union Delegation to Viet Nam