Visits help enhance Vietnam-Belgium ties
Vietnam and Belgium are preparing for upcoming visits, notably the Belgium visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the third quarter of this year in the context of the nations celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, stated newly-accredited Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Vu Anh Quang.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Vu Anh Quang |
In addition, trade and investment promotion activities and cultural exchange programmes will be held in both Vietnam and Belgium throughout the year, he said, adding that a Vietnamese Culture Week is set to take place in Belgium in the third quarter.
In the meantime, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong is in the European country to seek to increase cooperation in agriculture, the diplomat said in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency occasioned the nations’ celebration of the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
He expressed his delight at the development of bilateral cooperation since ties were set up in 1973.
The two countries have held high-level meetings and visits regularly, while supporting each other at international forums.
Economic and trade cooperation has played a key role in bilateral ties. In 2017, two-way trade reached nearly 2.5 billion USD. Belgium is currently running more than 60 projects worth about 600 million USD in Vietnam.
Connectivity between the two countries’ localities has been expanded in numerous fields, ranging from education and training, agriculture, cultural heritage preservation, to climate change and clean energy.
The ambassador said that Vietnam and Belgium have opportunities to lift their relations to a new height this year as they are celebrating their 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
The agencies of the two countries are working on the upgrade of bilateral ties to strategic partnership in some specific sectors and fields, he noted, adding that the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), once signed and ratified, will open up more opportunities for Vietnamese and Belgian businesses to intensify links and cooperation.
This will help increase Belgium’s investment in Vietnam, especially in fields of Belgium’s strength such as shipbuilding, agriculture, high technology and clean energy, contributing to promoting Vietnam’s green and sustainable growth.
The diplomat said that the two countries’ goods, especially agricultural products, do not compete, but complement to each other, an advantage for the two countries to strengthen collaboration in trade and investment intensively.
