Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and a high-ranking delegation left Hanoi on January 17 for official visits to Belgium , European Union, the UK and a state visit to Italy.

The visits are made at the invitations of Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Trong’s entourage include Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh./.VNA