The visit of the Delegation of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam contributes to strengthening parliamentary relations in particular and Vietnam-Belgium relations in general, promoting and opening up cooperation opportunities in many fields.
From December 4-7, the delegation of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam led by Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Education, Chairman of the Vietnam-European Parliamentary Friendship Group (EP), visited and worked in the Kingdom of Belgium.
The visit aims to strengthen and deepen the friendly relationship between Vietnam and the Kingdom of Belgium, especially in the context of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
During meetings with President of the Belgian House of Representatives Peter De Roover and Vice President of the Senate Andries Gryffroy, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh appreciated the coordination of the Belgian Parliament in promoting the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Federal Parliament, based on the Letter of Intent signed in August 2023.
He thanked the Belgian House of Representatives for passing the Resolution supporting Agent Orange victims, contributing to calling for international attention in overcoming the consequences of war in Vietnam, and hoped that Belgium would soon implement specific support projects.
On this occasion, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh suggested that Belgium play a bridging role, lobbying the Parliaments of European Union (EU) countries to pass similar resolutions, thereby strengthening solidarity and cooperation between the two sides.
Also during the meeting, the two sides emphasized the great potential for trade and investment cooperation, and pledged to effectively exploit the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh asked Belgium to facilitate Vietnam's export goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products, and called on Belgium to urge the European Commission (EC) to soon lift the IUU "yellow card" on Vietnamese seafood, recognizing Vietnam's strong efforts in implementing EU recommendations on sustainable fisheries development.
In the field of education, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh suggested that Belgium increase the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students and researchers, and promote cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), green technology, biotechnology and agriculture.
President of the Belgian House of Representatives Peter De Roover sent condolences to Vietnam for the damage caused by storm No. 3 (international name: Typhoon Yagi) and emphasized the significance of 2023 when the two countries organize many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.
Mr. Peter De Roover emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in enhancing people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding, and affirmed that he would promote the ratification of the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Belgian Senate Andries Gryffroy emphasized two priority areas of cooperation between Belgium and Vietnam: trade and economy, and education and culture. He reiterated the importance of education as the key to sustainable development, affirming that culture is a national identity and a bridge to enhance understanding between the two countries.
Mr. Andries Gryffroy highly appreciated Vietnam's role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and believed that the upcoming visit of the Belgian King to Vietnam will create an important mark, further promoting the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh suggested that the two sides coordinate to prepare well for the expected visit of the Belgian King, including promoting the Belgian Parliament to ratify EVIPA before the visit, considering this an important result of this visit.
In a conversation with the President of the Walloon Parliament, Mr. Willy Borsus, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh emphasized the achievements of cooperation between Vietnam and Wallonia, especially in the fields of research, education-training and culture.
One of the clear manifestations of this cooperative relationship is that Hue city of Vietnam has established a sister city relationship with Namur city of Wallonia. Cooperation projects between the two sides have been and are being effectively implemented, bringing specific and practical benefits to both sides.
On this occasion, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh informed the leaders of the Belgian Federal Parliament that Vietnam will host the Conference of the Executive Board of the Francophone Parliamentary Union (APF) in Can Tho city on January 23-24, 2025 and chair the organization of the Parliamentary Forum on Francophone Cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food security and climate change response on January 21-22, 2025. Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh expressed his hope that the Belgian Parliament will pay attention and send high-ranking representatives to attend this important Forum.
Vietnamese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Nguyen Van Thao, participated in activities with the Delegation.
The visit of the Delegation of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam contributes to strengthening parliamentary relations in particular and Vietnam-Belgium relations in general, promoting and opening up cooperation opportunities in the fields of economy, education and technology./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cung-co-va-lam-sau-sac-moi-quan-he-nghi-vien-viet-nam-vuong-quoc-bi-post999629.vnp
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