Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Diplomats and Vietnamese alumni of Belgian universities gathered in a friendship get-together held by the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association (VBFA) in Hanoi on July 20 to celebrate 186 years of Belgium’s independence (July 21, 1831).
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training and VBFA President Pham Manh Hung said the friendship get-together is an annual event designed for those who love Belgium to meet, share information and seek business partnerships, dedicated to promoting friendship between the two governments and peoples.
Vietnam-Belgium relations have deepened through VBFA’s people-to-people diplomacy activities, including delegation visits, friendship get-togethers, celebration ceremonies, photo exhibitions and more, Hung noted.
He affirmed that the VBFA will hold more friendship events, including seminars, workshops, training courses, experience exchanges and other events to develop the network of Vietnamese alumni in Belgium.
Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas, for her part, said 2018 will mark the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and highlighted fruitful cooperation in multiple fields, ranging from economy, development to academy and research.
Two-way trade has increased in recent years, with Belgium the sixth largest exporter and eighth biggest buyer of Vietnam in the European Union, she said, adding that Belgium has invested 600 million EUR into Vietnam.
Education and training cooperation is a success story with about 2,000 Vietnamese studying 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, the ambassador said.-VNA
VNA
