Diverse activities have been held in Brussels and Gent City as part of Vietnamese Days in Belgium.

The Kingdom of Belgium is seen as a centre of Europe where many large major economic groups and European international financial institutions are located. Therefore, intensifying activities to promote trade, investment, tourism and Vietnam’s image in Belgium will add  fresh impetus to multifaceted cooperation, especially in economics between Vietnam and Belgium as well as between Vietnam and the EU.

Vietnamese Ambassador to  Belgium Phan Thuy Thanh said Vietnamese Days in Belgium have attracted approximately 300 Belgian and European enterprises, providing a good opportunity for Vietnam to promote trade links with Belgium.

Up to 60 percent of Belgium’s trade activities have been launched in Europe so far.  If
Vietnamese enterprises go good business in Belgium, the EU market will be wider open to them open wider to them, Mrs Thanh said.

Deputy Director in charge of external relations of the Belgian Workers Party Company Jean Pestieau said Vietnam is maintaining a very fast economic growth rate which, he hoped, will create business opportunities for European investors.

“Many Vietnamese students have been studying well and they will be human resources for Vietnam’s future development. Vietnam is smaller than China but we find it easier to establish links with Vietnamese partners since Belgium is also a small country with many medium- and small-sized enterprises. I think Vietnam and Belgium share many similarities,” Jean Pestieau noted.

Managing Director of the Vietnam European Bridge Company Marc De Daele said, “I think Vietnam is regarded as an attractive destination for foreign investors. If you see how best the Chinese business environment in China is, the Vietnamese environment is also the same. We are expanding business operations in Vietnam with a focus on oil and gas consultancy, dissemination of business knowledge, and hotel construction to bridge Belgian and Vietnamese investors. In addition, we are seeking to import new products from Vietnam.”

Europe is a large economic bloc and trade policy is one of the EU successes, especially in terms of package standards, quality and delivery time. Therefore, when doing business with Belgian and other European partners, Vietnamese enterprises should pay special attention to this. They should set up websites soon to introduce their products and goods, especially to offer them to their partners. Deputy Head of the management board of IPs and EPZs in Hai Phong, Vu Dinh Toi said after investing in the Dinh Vu IP successfully, Belgian enterprises plan to invest in the field of sea ports, one of Belgian advantages. A delegation of enterprises from Hai Phong has come to Belgium to attend the Vietnam-Belgium Business Forum to promote investment cooperation.

Belgium currently has 25 investment projects operating in Vietnam with total capital of US$74 million, ranking second among EU members and 29^th place among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. However, these figures have not matched the potential of the two countries. We see that Belgian enterprises have many investment opportunities in Vietnam thanks to the Government of Vietnam’s new investment environment policy.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Phan Thuy Thanh and Luxembourg, who is also Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union, said judging from positive signs, there will likely be a new flow of investment from Europe into Vietnam following successful activities under the framework of the programme entitled “Vietnamese Days in Belgium”.