The MoU was officially announced at a gala dinner held in London on the evening of January 11, marking a new step in strengthening ties among Vietnamese businesses in Europe’s major economic and policy centers.

Belgium, home to the European Commission, the European Council and numerous EU policy-making bodies, serves as an important institutional gateway for Vietnamese companies seeking access to common standards and market orientations. On that basis, the cooperation framework between VBUK and VBAB, together with related community and cultural organizations, is helping form a business linkage axis connecting the UK, Belgium and the EU.

Nguyen Thi Li Le, Chairwoman of VBUK, said she expects the partnership with VBAB to become a focal point in raising the profile of the Vietnamese business community in Europe. She noted that the two sides plan to jointly organize activities such as gala dinners and events introducing Vietnamese goods and products in the UK and Belgium.

Under the agreed cooperation framework, VBUK and VBAB aim to build a strong network of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in two countries that hold distinctive positions in Europe’s economic structure: the United Kingdom as a global financial and commercial center, and Belgium as the EU’s institutional and policy hub.

Key areas of cooperation include sharing information on economic policy and regulatory environments, trade and investment promotion, supporting member companies in market access and partner searches, and jointly organizing forums, seminars and business-matching activities.

Nguyen Thanh Vinh, Chairman of VBAB, said the association maintains links with the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals in Belgium and Luxembourg, exchanging views on new technologies and market trends to support domestic enterprises and localities.

Beyond purely economic cooperation, the associations also underscore the role of culture and people-to-people diplomacy in the integration process. VBUK’s MoU with the We Love Pho Association reflects a “soft” but effective approach, using culture as a bridge to broaden cooperation in business, tourism and trade. This direction is becoming more visible in the activities of overseas Vietnamese business communities, where soft power is being developed alongside economic capacity.

Mai Hai Lam, Chairman of the We Love Pho Association and a member of the executive board of the Vietnam Business Association in Poland, said the group hopes to build a year-round series of Vietnamese cuisine promotion activities. Spring will be linked to Lunar New Year events, summer will focus on street food, autumn will feature activities around National Day, and winter, around December, will highlight Vietnamese cuisine through themed promotional weeks.

As the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), in force since August 2020, continues to be implemented more deeply amid shifting global geo-economic conditions, closer coordination among Vietnamese business associations in Europe’s major centers is not only supporting their members but also helping raise the standing of Vietnamese enterprises in the international market. The initiative also demonstrates the proactive and confident integration mindset of Vietnamese businesses in a new period of development.

Vietnam and Bulgaria expand business links and trade exchanges

VOV.VN - The Embassy of Vietnam in Bulgaria, in coordination with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burgas city, recently organised a Vietnam–Bulgaria business seminar, aiming to strengthen business links and trade exchanges.