Vietnam to enhance cooperation with Wallonie-Bruxelles: PM
The Vietnamese Government always attaches importance to developing its friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with the French Community of Belgium (Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on October 17.
Speaking at a reception for Minister-President of the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles Pierre-Yves Jeholet, who has been on a visit to Vietnam from October 15-21, PM Chinh expressed his hope that the visit will contribute to promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium and Wallonie-Bruxelles in different spheres.
He appreciated Wallonie-Bruxelles’s selection of Vietnam as the only Asian country to set up its delegation as well as its support to projects in Vietnam over the past 25 years, significantly contributing to the nation's socio-economic development.
The PM thanked the Belgian Government and people for their donation of 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam in September 2021, considering it a demonstration of good sentiments and deep friendship between the people of the two countries.
For his part, Jeholet congratulated Vietnam on its reform achievements and lauded the country for its efforts in the pandemic combat.
Belgium and Wallonie-Bruxelles in particular always view Vietnam as a priority, important partner in the region, and want to consolidate the multi-faceted cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, he said.
The two sides consented to increase all-level meetings and delegation exchanges, and pledged to continue their mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and the United Nations Human Rights Council to which both Vietnam and Belgium have been elected.
The two nations will also foster collaboration in culture, health care, and education-training, and expand cooperation to other potential spheres like sports and heritage conservation and promotion.
PM Chinh noted with pleasure the progress in the bilateral trade ties and called on Belgium and Wallonie-Bruxelles to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese farm produce to access the Belgian market and better utilise great opportunities generated by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
He also called for Wallonie-Bruxelles's and Belgium’s early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, and suggested the country urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood.
The PM noted that Wallonie-Bruxelles’s projects have helped Vietnam fulfill the UN sustainable development goals of poverty reduction, education and health care, and expressed his wish for stronger cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Wallonie-Bruxelles.
Jeholet highly valued Vietnam’s growing role and position in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and the world.
He affirmed support for Vietnam's stance and agreed on the significance of settling disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).