Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and Belgium should foster deeper cooperation in areas of one's strength and the other's need such as high technology, circular economy, and strategic infrastructure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated at a meeting with visiting Belgian King Philippe in Hanoi on April 1.
The meeting underscored the deepening diplomatic and economic relations between Vietnam and Belgium, which have strengthened since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973.
The PM expressed gratitude for Belgium’s continued development support for Vietnam and urged further concrete initiatives, including the implementation of the Belgian parliamentary resolution adopted in October 2023, which provides assistance to Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.
He urged Belgium to expedite the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to push the European Commission to lift its yellow card warning on Vietnam’s seafood exports.
Welcoming the first state visit by the Belgian King and Queen as well as the country's high-level delegation since the two countries set up their diplomatic relations in 1973, PM Chinh noted the positive outcomes of his official visit to Belgium in December 2022.
He expressed optimism that the King's visit will provide fresh impetus for strengthening bilateral relations, deepening political trust, and fostering comprehensive cooperation, for the sake of the two countries' people, and for peace and stability in the region and the world.
King Philippe highly valued the Vietnamese Government's support to the Vietnam-Belgian ties, and expressed his impression of Vietnam's socio-economic growth over the years. He showed his confidence in the country’s ability to meet its ambitious development targets for 2030 and 2045.
The two sides shared their delight at the fruitful development of the Vietnam-Belgium friendship and multifaceted cooperation over the past more than five decades. They agreed on the necessity of expanding cooperation in key areas such as trade, culture, art, tourism, and locality-to-locality cooperation, along with active implementation of the bilateral strategic partnership in agriculture to deal with non-traditional challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics.
King Philippe recognised Vietnam’s strategic significance in the region and highlighted Belgium’s interest in enhancing cooperation in education, health care, seaport development, renewable energy, science-technology, and innovation. He also underscored Belgium’s support for businesses of both sides in bolstering investment and trade activities in respective countries.
The two sides concurred to increase delegation exchanges and engagements at all levels across Party, Government, and parliamentary channels. They committed to strengthening inter-ministerial cooperation, maximising the effectiveness of existing bilateral mechanisms, and facilitating greater people-to-people exchanges. They also acknowledged the crucial role of the Vietnamese community in Belgium and the Belgian community in Vietnam in fostering deeper bilateral ties.
The leaders held that Vietnam and Belgium should work closely together at international and regional forums to promote multilateralism, uphold international law, and address global challenges.
Regarding the East Sea issue, they reiterated the importance of maintaining safety, security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the area, and settling disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
PM Chinh took this occasion to send his invitation to Belgian PM Bart De Wever to visit Vietnam to continue promoting bilateral cooperation./.
