EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Parliamentary Committee is comprised of prominent members of Parliament from the four EFTA States; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. The Parliamentary Committee visited Hanoi 23-25 February. The Norwegian Member of Parliament Mr. Svein Roald Hansen led the EFTA-delegation to Vietnam, as Norway currently holds the Chair of the EFTA Parliamentary Committee.
The National Assembly of Vietnam hosted the EFTA-delegation, and visits were paid to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), members of the Economic Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Vietnamese National Assembly, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.
A Joint Study Group has since August 2010 examined the trade relations between Vietnam and EFTA. Their report concludes positively with respect to the feasibility of a free trade agreement between EFTA and Vietnam, and holds that there is significant potential to strengthen their economic relationship.
In the past the EFTA Parliamentary Committee has complemented the EFTA Countries’ efforts in expanding free trade by delegation visits to EFTA’s partner countries. Mr. Hansen was very impressed with Vietnam’s development and stated that “Vietnam is an excellent example of how important trade is for integration, cooperation, and the globalization of the economy. EFTA looks forward to strengthen our cooperation with Vietnam further.”
H.E. Nguyen Duc Kien, Chairman of the National Assembly, expressed that “Support and cooperation from your countries is crucial to Vietnam’s development. We strongly believe we will further strengthen the exchange between our countries through these discussions.”