Full text of EVFTA in MS Word format |
Full text of the Annexes of EVFTA in MS Word format |
PREAMBLE
The European Union, hereinafter referred to as "the Union", and
the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, hereinafter referred to as "Viet Nam", hereinafter jointly referred to as "the Parties" or individually referred to as "Party",
RECOGNISING their longstanding and strong partnership based on the common principles and values reflected in the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, and their important economic, trade and investment relationship;
DESIRING to further strengthen their economic relationship as part of, and in a manner coherent with, their overall relations, and convinced that this Agreement will create a new climate for the development of trade and investment between the Parties;
RECOGNISING that this Agreement will complement and promote regional economic integration efforts
DETERMINED to strengthen their economic, trade and investment relationship in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, in its economic, social and environmental dimensions, and to promote trade and investment under this Agreement in a manner mindful of high levels of environmental and labour protection and relevant internationally recognised standards and agreements;
DESIRING to raise living standards, promote economic growth and stability, create new employment opportunities and improve the general welfare and, to this end, reaffirming their commitment to promoting trade and investment liberalisation;
CONVINCED that this Agreement will create an expanded and secure market for goods and services and a stable and predictable environment for trade and investment, thus enhancing the competitiveness of their firms in global markets;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, and having regard to the principles articulated in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948;
RECOGNISING the importance of transparency in international trade to the benefit of all stakeholders;
SEEKING to establish clear and mutually advantageous rules governing their trade and investment and to reduce or eliminate the barriers to mutual trade and investment;
RESOLVED to contribute to the harmonious development and expansion of international trade by removing obstacles to trade through this Agreement and to avoid creating new barriers to trade or investment between the Parties that could reduce the benefits of this Agreement;
BUILDING on their respective rights and obligations under the WTO Agreement and other multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements and arrangements to which they are party;
DESIRING to promote the competitiveness of their companies by providing them with a predictable legal framework for their trade and investment relations,
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: