NA Vice Chairman hosts Belgium-Vietnam friendship parliamentarians group

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam attaches importance to friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belgium and member countries of the European Union (EU), said National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu.

The NA Vice Chairman made the statement in Hanoi on March 7 while receiving a delegation of representatives from the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group (BVFPG) led by head of the group Georges Dallemagne.

NA Vice Chairman Luu spoke highly of the sound development of the bilateral relations in political, economic, cultural, education and science cooperation, saying that the two countries have maintained the exchange of delegations at all levels, including the trip by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Belgium last year.

The two Governments reached agreements on the establishment of the strategic partnership in agriculture, facilitating the two countries’ connection in developing the hi-tech agriculture sector, he said.

Luu hoped the Belgian parliament would promote the EU to soon sign and approve the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which will bring economic benefits to EU member nations, including Belgium.

He asked members of the two countries’ friendship parliamentarians groups to continue maintaining collaboration, meetings and exchange activities, and serve as a vital bridge to boost the bilateral relations as well as cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies.

For his part, Dallemagne highly valued Vietnam’s development in many areas, and expressed his support for Vietnam’s candidacy for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

The stronger parliamentary cooperation between the Vietnamese and Belgian legislatures will contribute to strengthening the relationship between the two nations, he stressed.

On the same day’s afternoon, head of the NA Committee for Social Affairs and head of the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Parliamentarians Group Bui Sy Loi held talks with the delegation.

Loi hoped the two sides to continue exchanging high-level delegations, sharing experience and updating information related to parliamentary activities in each country; as well as coordinate in supervising the implementation of cooperation agreements and projects signed by the two governments.

Dallemagne said he hopes the friendship parliamentarians groups will maintain close cooperation and show their role as bridges to promote the bond between the two countries’ legislative bodies.-VNA