Belgium’s 185th National Day marked in Hanoi hinh anh 1A friendship get-togther took place on July 21 to celebrate the 185th National Day of Belgium. (Photo: thoidai.com.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Belgian diplomats and businessmen in Vietnam and Vietnamese alumni in Belgium attended a friendship gathering in Hanoi on July 21 to celebrate the 185th National Day of Belgium (July 21, 1831).

The event was organised by the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association (VBFA) and the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam.

Addressing the event, VBFA Vice President Bui Anh Tuan said the Vietnam-Belgium relations have been tightened through high-level visits and in multiple fields, for example, development cooperation, economy, education and culture.

The gathering offered an opportunity for those who love Belgium to meet, share information and seek business partnership, he said, noting that it would help strengthen the friendship between the two countries’ government and people.

He revealed that the VBFA will organise a Vietnam-Belgium painting exhibition and establish a club for Vietnamese and Belgian businessmen in the second half of this year.

Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas highlighted the economic ties between the two nations, saying that the two-way trade has been on the rise in recent years with Belgium being the sixth largest exporter and the eighth biggest buyer of Vietnam in the European Union.

Education and training cooperation is a success story as about 2,000 Vietnamese studied in Belgium and another 2,000 graduated from an integrated educational programme partnered with Belgium’s Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in Vietnam, she said.
VNA