Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Vu Anh Quang addresses the event (Photo: VNA) Brussels (VNA) – A ceremony to celebrate the 74th National Day took place at the Vietnamese Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, on September 10, drawing 300 officials from the EU and Belgium, representatives of local businesses, and the Vietnamese community in the country.
Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the EU Vu Anh Quang said Vietnam attaches great importance to developing ties with the EU and Belgium in particular.
Promoting partnership with the EU and its member countries is one of the major pillars of Vietnam’s foreign policy, he said.
The Vietnam-EU relationship has thrived with the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in June this year.
Meanwhile, Vietnam-Belgium ties have also expanded, especially in trade and investment.
The ambassador welcomed the contributions of the EU to peace, security and development in Southeast Asia, especially EU statements released in August regarding developments in the East Sea.
For his part, Jan Zahradil, President of the EU-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group and Vice Chairman of the European Parliament Committee of International Trade, said the signing of the EVFTA more than two months ago in Hanoi was a key milestone for both sides, and helped make Vietnam’s National Day ceremony happier.
Zahradil said as Vice Chairman of the European Parliament Committee of International Trade, he has followed the negotiations of the EVFTA and found this is the most ambitious deal the EU has signed with a developing country.
The EU-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group hopes to continue playing an active role during the European side’s approval of the deal, he said.
Commenting on Vietnam-Belgium relations after the signing of the EVFTA, Prof. Pierre Grega, Chairman of the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Parliamentarian Group, said ties have been promoted in recent years and will thrive in the future, especially in trade, investment and training.
He said the ratification of the EVFTA will help expand trade and investment activities between the two countries. Vietnamese intellectuals trained in Belgium are expected to become a major force in the field, he added./.
VNA
