The talks were opened by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and the Vietnamese Minister for Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang thios week.

Both sides seek for a comprehensive agreement covering tariffs, non-tariff barriers as well as commitments on other trade related aspects, notably procurement, regulatory issues, competition, services, and sustainable development.

Viet Nam, a member of the ASEAN community, is the third country after Singapore and Malaysia with which the EU has started bilateral negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement.

These bilateral negotiations are inscribed in the broader context of achieving an agreement with ASEAN as a whole.

In the context of the negotiations with Viet Nam, the EU has launched a public consultation on trade relations with the country. Stakeholders are invited to send their contributions to the public consultation by 17 August 2012.