PM Pham Minh Chinh meets Senate President, Princess of Belgium

Brussels (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D’Hose and Princess Astrid of Belgium on late December 15 as part of his official visit to the European country.

Talking to Senate President Stephanie D’Hose, the Government leader of Vietnam affirmed the determination to further intensify cooperation between the two countries.

He took this occasion to convey National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s invitation to his host to visit Vietnam in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

D’Hose said all Belgian parliamentarians present at the meeting have special and long-lasting sentiment towards Vietnam, and they hope to develop the countries’ ties more intensively and extensively.

She also described PM Chinh’s official visit to Belgium as a success, noting she is interested in the economic aspects discussed during the trip.

The two leaders hailed the encouraging outcomes generated by the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) after two years of enforcement and agreed to keep strengthening bilateral investment and trade partnerships and jointly coping with common challenges such as environmental pollution and climate change, especially in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

PM Chinh asked the Federal Parliament of Belgium to soon complete the ratification process for the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) so as to create an optimal investment climate for the two business circles. He also called for its support for the European Commission’s early removal of the “yellow card” warning for Vietnam’s fisheries sector.

Noting he is impressed with the IMEC research and innovation hub in the Flanders region, he suggested the Belgian Senate assist Vietnam in setting up an innovation centre similar to the IMEC model.

The PM also asked the Senate President to continue providing favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Belgium so that they can serve as a bridge linking the two countries.

At a separate meeting with Princess Astrid, PM Chinh appreciated the Belgian Princess and Royal Family’s sentiment towards as well as support for Vietnam and the two countries’ relations.

Vietnam always attaches importance to and hopes to enhance comprehensive cooperation with Belgium, he underlined.

Princess Astrid lauded the strides in bilateral ties and highly valued the outcomes of her guest’s visits to three European countries and attendance in the ASEAN - EU Commemorative Summit, as seen in the signing of many documents, particularly those on economy - trade and higher education.

The two sides expressed their delight at the progress of their countries’ cooperation, of which investment and trade partnerships form an important pillar.

PM Chinh proposed Princess Astrid encourage Belgian enterprises to further step up trade and investment links with Vietnam.

He also delivered Vietnamese leaders’ invitation to the King, Queen, and Princess of Belgium to visit the Southeast Asian nation in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations./.