PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel witness the signing of some cooperation documents between agencies and businesses of the two countries. (Photo: VNA) Brussels (VNA) – The Prime Ministers of Vietnamand Belgium announced at a joint press conference in Brussels on October 16that they had agreed to promote cooperation between the two countries inmultiple fields.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Belgian counterpart CharlesMichel co-chaired the press conference following their talks.
The Vietnamese PM said he and PM Charles Michel had agreedto bolster ties in agriculture, eduction-training, culture, transport andfacilitation of business and investment, especially when the Vietnam-EU FreeTrade Agreement will be signed soon.
He told the press that many Belgian-invested projects inVietnam have been successful, adding that Vietnam is making constant efforts toimprove its investment environment.
He added that Belgian had agreed to push for the signing ofthe Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement, thus facilitating trade and investmentbetween the two countries.
Phuc announced that he had invited the Belgian PM to visitVietnam and his invitation had been accepted.
PM Charles Michel said besides many important issues tobolster the two countries’ economic partnership, especially in trade andinvestment, the two sides also considered collaboration in education-trainingand examined the framework to promote Vietnam-EU free trade agreements.
The Belgian PM said Belgium supports Vietnam’s candidacy asa non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021. The twocountries will work together for peace and security in the East Sea, and raisevoice to protest unilateral actions that violate peace and international law.
He also said Belgian wants to work with Vietnam inagriculture, helping the Southeast Asian country develop clean agriculture and proceduresto ensure food safety.
The two PMs said they had agreed on the importance ofmaintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation inthe East Sea.
Disputes should be addressed by peaceful measures, inaccordance with international law, especially the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), they said.
Following their talks, the leaders witnessed the signing ofsome cooperation documents between agencies and businesses of the twocountries, covering agriculture, food safety, seaport and other spheres.
They include a strategic partnership agreement onagriculture between the two Governments, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) onimproving food safety and hygiene between the Vietnamese Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Agency for the Safety of theFood Chain, and another MoU on establishing a bilateral political consultationmechanism between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Belgian FederalPublic Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
A MoU on cooperation in research of smart port in thenorthern port city of Hai Phong between Vietnam’s Hateco and Rent-A-Port Group ofBelgium and another MoU on cooperation in research of seaport investment anddevelopment between Vinalines and Rent-A-Port were also inked on this occasion.-VNA
