Vietnam, Belgium foster business community links

Vietnam and Belgium have agreed to foster links between their business communities towards greater affiliation, including in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) at their recent annual political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level in Brussels, Belgium.

The links will be geared towards areas of Belgium’s strength and which Vietnam needs to develop, such as logistics-sea port, science-technology, green growth, satellite, environment, health care, education and tourism, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Secretary General at the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs of Belgium Dirk Achten said at their consultation in early November.

The Belgian side said they wish to further strengthen multi-faceted ties with Vietnam which is playing an increasingly important role and position in the Southeast Asia and ASEAN.

Both sides pledged to facilitate the exchange of visits, especially those at high level, and work closely together at the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting, the ASEAN – European Union (EU) and the Vietnam – EU frameworks.

The Vietnamese side thanked Belgium for backing its bid for a seat at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The European country, in response, affirmed its support of stronger ties between Vietnam and the EU as well as the early signing of the Vietnam – EU free trade agreement.

They believed that the third meeting of the Vietnam – Belgium Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation slated for November 23 in Brussels would devise practical measures to further boost investment between the two nations.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, the Belgium side expressed its approval of Vietnam’s stance on settling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means, refraining from the use of or threat to use force, and oberving international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in order to ensure security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the region.

Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son visited Belgium for the annual political consultation on November 3 and 4.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Belgium hit 2.3 billion USD last year, up 27.7 percent from 2013. As of August 2015, the figure was 1.5 billion USD, including 1.16 billion USD worth of Vietnam’s exports.

Also by the end of August, Belgium invested in 57 projects worth 420 million USD in Vietnam, notably the Dinh Vu – Cat Hai industrial park.-VNA