Acting President hosts newly-appointed ambassadors from EU countries

Hanoi (VNA) – Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh hosted separate receptions for ambassadors of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark who came to present her with their letters of credence on October 16.

In her meeting with Elsbeth Akkerman, the new Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam, Thinh said Vietnam treasures the support Dutch people have provided for the Asian country. She specifically referred to the Dutch doctors who founded the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) to provide aid to Vietnam during wartime and who have continued to offer medical help to disadvantaged areas to this day.

The Order of Friendship awarded by the State of Vietnam to the MCNV demonstrated Vietnam’s appreciation towards its humanitarian efforts to improve people’s health, reduce poverty, and sustainably develop the country, she said.

The Acting President also spoke highly of the remarkable progress in Vietnam-the Netherlands relations in all fields, including strengthened political trust, adding that the two countries are now important economic, trade, and investment partners of each other.

She suggested the two sides coordinate more closely and effectively to deepen their strategic partnership and further step up cooperation in sustainable development. She also expressed hope that the Netherlands will support the early signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Akkerman, for her part, thanked the State of Vietnam for the Order of Friendship presented to the MCNV. The Netherlands and Vietnam share common interest in developing agriculture, water management, and sustainable development which would be ideal areas for further cooperation between the two countries in the time ahead.


Welcoming new Belgian Ambassador Paul Jansen, the Acting President affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to bolstering its partnership with Belgium and that there is plenty of room to further advance cooperation between the two countries. She asked Jansen to closely work with Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies to increase high-level visit exchanges between the two sides during his mission in the country.

Thinh also hailed the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium at multilateral and international forums, for example, the United Nations, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and ASEAN. She congratulated Belgium on its being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2019-2020 tenure and asked that Belgium will support Vietnam’s candidacy for the post during the 2020-2021 term.

She expressed her delight at the development of the two nations’ economic, trade, and investment relations, noting that Vietnam has been making all possible efforts to enhance the local business climate and accelerate economic restructuring towards sustainable growth and the reform of State-owned enterprises.

She conveyed her hopes for Belgium to facilitate businesses from the two sides to meet and seek partnership in the areas of agriculture, sea port, logistics, renewable energy, mining, and others, especially given that the conclusion of the EVFTA will set up appropriate conditions for their firms to expand business.

The Belgian Ambassador lauded the bilateral collaboration in economics, education, and development in recent years and affirmed his country’s support for Vietnam’s candidacy to the UN Security Council.

Talking to newly-appointed Danish Ambassador Kim Hojlund Christensen, the Vietnamese leader said she was pleased to see the significant steps Vietnam and Denmark have made in cooperation across all fields, especially since the two countries set up a strategic partnership in climate change, energy, environmental protection, and green growth in 2011 and lifted it to the level of comprehensive partnership in 2013.

She looked forward to the continued implementation of the Danish Growth Strategy for Vietnam and new opportunities that would be created for the two sides’ business societies when the EVFTA is signed.

Christensen said the establishment of the Vietnam-Denmark Comprehensive Partnership in 2013 is significant to both sides as they have shifted to cooperation in multiple areas, such as politics, investment, energy, education, agriculture, and healthcare.

Vietnam has remained a priority partner to Denmark in development cooperation and the European country will continue providing support for Vietnam in agriculture, education, energy, healthcare, and climate change response. –VNA