Brussels (VNA) – An investment, trade, and tourism promotion forum was held in Brussels on June 6, seeking to enhance cooperation between Quang Ninh province and Belgian partners for a green and sustainable growth future.
The event, jointly organised by the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province and the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium, attracted many senior officials of Belgium and international partners.
In his opening speech, Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Vu Van Dien introduced on the majestic beauty and great potential of the northern coastal locality to become a centre for green industry, modern logistics, and sustainable innovation.
He affirmed that with its strategic geographical location that enables it to serve as a gateway connecting ASEAN with China and the world, along with a comprehensive infrastructure system and an open investment attraction policy, Quang Ninh is transforming itself into a magnet for high-quality investment flows.
It is now home to many large projects from Belgium, including two key industrial parks – Bac Tien Phong and Nam Tien Phong – that being developed with a total area of nearly 1,700 ha and combined capital of over 400 million USD, he noted.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and the EU Nguyen Van Thao applauded Quang Ninh for its investment promotion initiative, describing this as a proactive and right step amid Vietnam's increasing integration into the global economy. He noted that the embassy always stands ready to accompany localities, especially Quang Ninh, in strengthening connections with strategic partners in Europe.
He highlighted the special potential of Quang Ninh to become an attractive destination for Belgian businesses, saying that the province’s strength in tourism, modern seaport infrastructure, green development orientation, and a methodical investment attraction strategy are factors that Belgian businesses, with rich experience in the fields of renewable energy, smart seaport and logistics, are particularly interested in.
The diplomat also stressed that the partnerships between Quang Ninh and key economic regions of Belgium such as Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels are completely able to be upgraded in the coming time. The embassy will continue to promote its role in supporting Quang Ninh to introduce its potential and step up investment promotion efforts, thus facilitating the formation of practical and long-term cooperation projects between the two sides.
Andries Gryffroy, First Vice President of the Belgian Senate and President of the Belgian Vietnamese Alliance, said Quang Ninh is an ideal strategic partner in the areas where Belgium has outstanding advantages, from clean energy, agricultural processing, and logistics to smart city building.
According to Gryffroy, the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is opening up unprecedented opportunities, helping Belgian businesses access the Vietnamese market more easily, and Quang Ninh, with its unique advantages, is emerging as an attractive destination for European corporations and investors.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Piet Demunter, Acting Director of Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), showed his satisfaction with the substantive cooperation between the region and Quang Ninh in the recent past. He particularly emphasised the role of investors such as Deep C and Port of Antwerp-Bruges which are actively cooperating with Quang Ninh in green projects and smart logistics.
Flanders is a gateway to Europe while Quang Ninh is an important transit point in Asia, he said, noting that this is an ideal complement to jointly develop a modern, sustainable, and digitalised logistics ecosystem.
Koen Soenens, General Sales and Marketing Director of Deep C Industrial Zones, said his firm strongly believes in the potential of Quang Ninh, adding that with the Bac Tien Phong and Nam Tien Phong industrial parks and over 3 billion USD already poured into the province, the company looks to continue expanding its investment in Quang Ninh./.
