Framing the Future EU-Viet Nam Partnership – Green Development as a Catalyst for Trade and Political Cooperation?

Two years after the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Union (EU), this EIAS Briefing Paper outlines the evolution of economic and trade relations between the two partners, identifying relevant sectors for future cooperation. Taking into account both parties’ climate ambitions, as well as Vietnam’s need to develop its energy infrastructure, the EU and Vietnam should collaborate more intensively to secure and incentivise sustainable European investments in Vietnam, facilitated by the FTA. Sharing its experience, the EU can contribute to determining an energy policy adapted to Vietnam’s needs and will.

The commercial and institutional tools the EU has at its disposal –such as the EU-Vietnam FTA, the Global Gateway, the European Investment Bank, the EU Delegation and the EU Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (Eurocham)– should be broadly mobilised in order to guarantee effective economic, energy and policy cooperation. Analysed through a geopolitical lens, this paper suggests a way forward for the EU’s positioning in the Indo-Pacific and its ties with Vietnam.

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Author: Adrien Padovani, EIAS Junior Researcher

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