Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Security Nguyễn Văn Thành (L) meets with  David Daly, Director of Southeast Asian Affairs for the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels. — VNA/VNS Photo

BRUSSELS — The European Police Office (EUROPOL) is an important partner of the Ministry of Public Security in fighting crime, Deputy Minister Nguyễn Văn Thành said on Monday.

Meeting with EUROPOL Deputy Director Oldrich Martin in The Hague, Netherlands, he spoke highly of EUROPOL’s anti-crime co-ordination efforts, especially amidst complicated security developments in the world in general and EU member nations in particular.
He suggested the setting up of a bilateral co-operation mechanism to share information, appraise threats, investigate trans-national cases, and hunt offenders.
He also requested EUROPOL to assist Vietnamese public security forces through capacity building and training.
Oldrich Martin affirmed that EUROPOL always desired to work Việt Nam’s public security forces, particularly law enforcement agencies.
He spoke highly of joint work done by Việt Nam and EUROPOL members in fighting organised, transnational crimes including terrorism, drug and human trafficking, cyber crime and hunting fugitives.

He said that in the coming time, EUROPOL would enhance co-operation with the ASEAN National Police (ASEANAPOL), including the Vietnamese public security forces.
Martin hoped that Vietnamese public security forces would continue partnering with European Union police and EUROPOL.
Earlier, on Friday, Thành held a working session with Raffaele Mauro Petriccione, Deputy Director General of the EU Directorate General of Trade and head of the team negotiating the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), in Brussels.

He expressed his belief that EVFTA would significantly boost Viet Nam-EU trade.

“Việt Nam is ready to serve as a bridge for EU investors to access Southeast Asian markets,”  Thành said.

He added that the Ministry of Public Security would actively link up with concerned EU authorities in preventing and controlling crime.
Mauro Petriccione also expressed his wish for the prompt signing and ratification of EVFTA, saying EU agencies and member states are keenly interested in the Vietnamese market.
He lauded Việt Nam’s achievements in economic development, human rights protection, and fighting crime, especially those involving the environment, which are of concern to the EU as it completes internal procedures signing and adopting the EVFTA.
During a working session with the Vietnamese delegation in Brussels the same day, David Daly, Director of Southeast Asian Affairs for the European External Action Service (EEAS), hailed Việt Nam a major EU partner in Southeast Asia. He expressed his wish to see bilateral ties lifted to new heights.
Thành responded that the EU had become a significant partner for Việt Nam in socio-economic development, and had helped the country cope with rising non-traditional security challenges in Asia.
He also sought the EU’s support for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on anti-crime co-operation with his ministry and the sharing of experiences in launching a plan to send Vietnamese public security officers to the United Nations peacekeeping mission. — VNS