NAN-F-50
Trade
Hanoi, Feb. 23, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Pier Panzeri, the Chairman of European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee, on Thursday, said it would be “extremely hard” for
EU to implement its planned free trade agreement with Vietnam without improvement in the country’s human rights record.
Panzeri said repression of free speech, the lack of legal system transparency and restrictions on political participation put the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which had not yet been ratified, at risk.
He said “we very much want to approve the free trade agreement, but we need progress in human rights and social rights.
“At this time, progress has not been made and we have communicated to authorities that it would be extremely hard to approve the trade deal under these circumstances.”
The EU was Vietnam’s third largest foreign investment partner in 2015, committing 1.3 billion dollars in foreign direct investment, according to the European Commission.
Vietnam’s key exports to EU countries include telephones, electronic products, footwear, textiles and clothing, coffee, rice, seafood and furniture.
Negotiations over the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which includes the elimination of nearly all tariffs, concluded in December 2015.
Political and human rights remain a contentious issue in Vietnam’s relations with the EU.
The ruling Communist Party of Vietnam has used controversial articles in its penal code to prosecute local political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders.
Hanoi maintains that only lawbreakers are imprisoned and denies holding any political prisoners. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu