Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Common Wealth Office Hugo Swire expressed their mutual satisfaction with the development of the two countries’ bilateral cooperation and close coordination at international forums and organisations, especially the United Nations (UN), the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the ASEAN-EU framework. 

HA NOI (VNS)— Viet Nam became the second largest footwear exporter to the US market last year after China, accounting for 13.8 per cent of the US market share. The figure was released by the US Customs recently, according to the Viet Nam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso). Viet Nam exported $3.55 billion worth of footwear last year, up 22.4 per cent from 2013 and 119 per cent from 2010. The export value of Vietnamese footwear sent to the United States registered an average growth rate of 30 per cent for the 2010 to 2014 period.

Chief Negotiator of the EU, Mr. Mauro Petriccione, believes that as Vietnam is the first developing country to be involved in FTA negotiations with the EU, the bloc has taken into consideration the country’s development level and has shown flexibility in the negotiation process.

India has proposed creating a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, said Alexey Pushkov, head of the International Committee of Russian State Duma. "The question was raised by India, which is now considering a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. This is a new level in our relationship. The possibility is being discussed," he told reporters Friday during an official visit to New Delhi.

Vietnam and the U.S. have vowed to closely coordinate in boosting cooperation between the two countries, including finalizing negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.   The vow was made at a reception hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh for U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius in Hanoi on Thursday, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

HA NOI (VNS) — Its "golden population" phase and other specific advantages can help Viet Nam exploit well a slew of free trade agreements (FTAs), but there is zero room for complacency, experts and leading industrialists have warned. They say that the agreements are a double-edged sword that will open the domestic market up to stiff competition local firms are ill-equipped to face. The increased export opportunities also come with the challenge of meeting international standards, they add.

HA NOI  (VNS) — Viet Nam has become the biggest exporter to the United States in the Southeast Asian region with a record trade surplus of almost US$25 billion in 2014, surpassing even Malaysia and Thailand. The two-way trade reached $36.3 billion, of which Viet Nam exported $30.6 billion worth of goods to the US in 2014 while its imports were only $5.7 billion, the US Census Bureau data showed. These figures represented increases of 24 per cent in export and 13.6 per cent in import compared with the previous year.

(Reuters) - A trade deal being negotiated by 12 Pacific Rim nations has reached the endgame, but must be agreed by the middle of the year or face being overtaken by U.S. domestic politics, New Zealand's trade minister said on Thursday. Tim Groser said much of the final shape of the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) agreement was already understood, but crunch time was approaching to settle the hard issues.

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam imports over 80 per cent of its vegetable, flower and fruit seeds, according to Ha Noi Moi newspaper. Domestic breeding technology remains underdeveloped and is unable to meet production demands. To address the situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it would evaluate varieties across the nation to determine their strength and weaknesses, with the aim to create high-quality varieties.

NEW DELHI: India will soon initiate the feasibility process to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement with Russia and Peru, a move aimed at enhancing economic ties with these nations, Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher said today. Kher also said the new foreign trade policy (FTP) would be announced after the Budget, that would give a direction to India’s efforts to enhance engagements with its trading partners.