Belgium regards Vietnam as top priority partner in Southeast Asia
VOV.VN - Belgium considers Vietnam its top priority partner in Southeast Asia and wishes to expand all-around cooperation in areas of mutual strength and shared interests, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever affirmed during talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam in Brussels on October 23.
The talks took place following an official welcoming ceremony at Egmont Palace, within the framework of the top Vietnamese leader's official visit to Belgium.
In an open, candid, and trusting atmosphere, Prime Minister Bart De Wever warmly welcomed General Secretary and State President To Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation. He emphasized that the visit holds special political significance, continuing the momentum from the state visit to Vietnam by the King and Queen of Belgium in April 2025.
The Belgian PM praised Vietnam's growing stature and role in the Asia-Pacific region and the international arena, while congratulating the country on its impressive socio-economic achievements.
Expressing sincere thanks for the respectful and warm reception, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam highly valued Belgium's central role in the European Union (EU). He thanked the Federal Government and regions of Belgium for their effective support for Vietnam's socio-economic development, highlighting that the Belgian Federal Chamber of Representatives was the first parliament globally to pass a resolution supporting Vietnamese Agent Orange victims in October 2023.
Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive and substantive developments in Vietnam-Belgium ties across multiple fields, particularly since establishing the Strategic Partnership in Agriculture in 2018. They agreed to enhance political trust and exchange perspectives to scale up cooperation and elevate bilateral ties to a new height.
On politics, diplomacy, defence, and security, they agreed to step up delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level ones across all channels, and effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms and agreements. They concurred on boosting diverse connections between Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and localities with the Federal Government and regions of Belgium to soon realize the upgrade of relations to a Strategic Partnership in the near future. Both sides consented to make defence-security cooperation a major pillar within the new relationship framework, focusing on expanding cooperation in training, military medicine, UN peacekeeping, law enforcement, and information sharing.
Regarding economic, trade, and investment ties, the two leaders reached a consensus on creating new breakthroughs and promote large-scale, strategic joint projects in sectors where Belgium possesses traditional strengths and Vietnam has pressing needs, such as seaport development, smart logistics chains, green energy, eco-industrial parks, and high-tech climate-resilient agriculture.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam suggested that Belgium encourage its major corporations to expand investments in Vietnam, affirming Vietnam's strong commitment to creating a favorable and safe business and investment environment for Belgian enterprises to operate long-term. He also called for Belgium's continued support for Vietnam-EU relations, maximizing the advantages of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and urging the European Commission (EC) to soon lift the IUU "yellow card" warning on Vietnamese seafood.
Host and guest shared the view that science and technology is a field with vast potential for cooperation, agreeing to accelerate joint research projects, technology transfer, and cooperation in strategic and emerging technology sectors such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and semiconductors.
Affirming the importance of education-training cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, the two leaders noted that mutual understanding between the two nations’ people serves as the driving force to propel bilateral relations toward a new height.
On this basis, both leaders agreed to expand educational linkages, intensify cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges, and bolster practical cooperation between Vietnamese and Belgian localities. On this occasion, the top Vietnamese leader asked the Belgian Government continue creating favorable conditions regarding the legal framework and social welfare for the Vietnamese community in Belgium to stabilize their lives, integrate well, continue making positive contributions to local development, and serve as a solid bridge of friendship between the two nations.
Comparing notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the leaders underlined the importance of maintaining peace, stability, freedom, security, and safety of navigation and aviation, upholding multilateralism and respect for international law, and supporting ASEAN's centrality in the Asia-Pacific region.
They concurred to strengthen close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organizations, particularly at the United Nations, the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), and within the framework of the ASEAN-EU strategic partnership.
At the conclusion of the talks, the two leaders affirmed strong political resolve to further deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensiv cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium, bringing bilateral ties into substantive and effective development that meets the practical interests of both peoples while contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
On this occasion, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam conveyed an invitation from Prime Minister Le Minh Hung inviting Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to visit Vietnam. The Belgian PM sincerely thanked and accepted the invitation with pleasure, while expressing his desire to visit Vietnam soon.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam, spouse meet King and Queen of Belgium
VOV.VN - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly met King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at Laeken Royal Castle in northern Brussels on the morning of October 23 (local time).
Top leader visits Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation visited the Port of Antwerp-Bruges on October 22, as part of his trip to the European Union and Belgium.
Vietnam and Belgium look to broaden strategic partnership
VOV.VN - Vietnam and Belgium are looking to deepen their longstanding relationship through stronger political coordination and more substantive cooperation in trade, investment, maritime logistics and high technology.
