The European Union and Vietnam said on Thursday they have reached agreement on all outstanding multilateral issues related to Vietnam's expected accession to the World Trade Organisation.
The EU backed Vietnam's bid to join the WTO in 2004 after bilateral negotiations between Brussels and Hanoi. Vietnam has since clinched similar support from all key WTO members, including the United States earlier this year.
Its accession is now being heard by a multilateral committee at the WTO in Geneva.
"We have reached an agreement on all remaining WTO issues of interest to the EU and Vietnam," EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told reporters after two days of discussions between EU and Vietnamese trade officials. "The EU sees no further obstacles to the rapid accession of Vietnam to the WTO," he said.