Brussels, July 31 -- The EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), now in its fifth year, remains a crucial tool to foster the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the European Union (EU), said Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao, Head of Vietnam's Mission to the EU.

Thao, who is also Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium, described the EVFTA as a landmark in the history of Vietnam-EU cooperation, particularly amid global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, growing protectionism and restrictions on free trade.

Despite these headwinds, the deal has proven highly effective, pushing Vietnam to the top of the EU's trading partners in Southeast Asia and the EU as Vietnam's fourth largest trading partner globally, with elec...