Hanoi (VNA) – A National Assembly (NA) delegation led by Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh paid a working visit to Belgium and the European Union (EU) from September 15-17.
On September 16, at talks with First Vice President of the Belgian Senate Andries Gryffoy, Thanh affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to developing friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belgium. She noted that bilateral ties have grown positively in various fields over the past five decades, especially since the establishment of their strategic partnership in agriculture in 2018.
Gryffoy expressed admiration for Vietnam’s socio-economic and diplomatic achievements, stressing that the visit would not only deepen inter-parliamentary cooperation but also foster traditional friendship and comprehensive collaboration between the two countries. He underlined that the Belgian Senate in particular and Federal Parliament in general stand ready to strengthen ties with the Vietnamese NA.
Both sides agreed that bilateral cooperation still holds vast potential, particularly in trade and investment, in areas where Belgium has strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as smart ports, high technology, healthcare, agriculture, and energy. They also consented to enhance parliamentary cooperation, boost delegation exchanges and contacts at various levels with the Federal Parliament and parliaments of Belgium’s regions and linguistic communities, based on the parliamentary cooperation agreement signed in February this year. The two legislatures will also share experiences in decentralisation, administrative reform, law-making, and gender equality.
Thanh urged the Belgian Parliament to soon complete ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), thanked the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting a resolution on Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims, and proposed Belgium support projects for these victims in Vietnam. She also called on Belgian lawmakers to support policies facilitating the Vietnamese community’s integration into Belgian society. On the occasion, Thanh invited Gryffoy and the Belgium–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group to visit Vietnam.
On the morning of September 17, the Vietnamese NA Vice Chairwoman held a working session with European Parliament (EP) Vice-President Younous Omarjee, who spoke highly of the positive developments in the Vietnam–EU comprehensive partnership and cooperation.
Thanh reiterated that the EU is an important partner in Vietnam’s foreign policy, highlighting the good parliamentary relations between the Vietnamese NA and the EP, underpinned by the 2010 cooperation agreement – the first such bilateral parliamentary agreement the EP signed with a Southeast Asian country.
She voiced her belief that with ongoing discussions on elevating bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and with joint efforts, Vietnam – EU relations will continue to achieve new successes.
In light of complex global developments, the two sides agreed to prioritise boosting trade and investment cooperation, particularly effective implementation of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and to strengthen collaboration in the EU’s areas of strength such as science-technology, innovation, green transition, digital transformation, high-quality human resource training. They also concurred to boost investment in Vietnam’s high-tech projects, transport and environmental infrastructure.
On this occasion, Thanh proposed the EP expedite EVIPA ratification and called on the EU to promote peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
She also conveyed Vietnamese NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s invitation to EP President Roberta Metsola, and extended her own invitation to her host to pay an official visit to Vietnam at a convenient time.
Earlier, on the evening of September 16, Thanh and the NA delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and the Mission of Vietnam to the EU./.
