Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel agreed on ways to strengthen bilateral ties across politics, economics, culture, education-training, and science-technology during their talks in Brussels on December 2.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel (right).

Looking back on trade and investment ties, they said bilateral trade saw good growth, hitting 2.3 billion USD last year and 1.6 billion USD in January-September, and Belgium’s investment in Vietnam amounting to 420 million USD in 59 projects.

However, the two PMs said, there is some room to improve these ties given the potential and aspiration of both countries.

Both sides agreed to accelerate the building and implementation of projects in the fields of logistics, transport, green growth and outer space, while further facilitating import of each other’s goods.

The Belgian PM suggested steering bilateral development cooperation towards climate change mitigation.

He congratulated Vietnam and the European Union (EU) on officially concluding negotiations on their free trade agreement (FTA).

Host and guest consented to join hands to boost Vietnam-EU ties, push forward the EU’s ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the early signing of the Vietnam-EU FTA.

PM Charles Michel also congratulated Vietnam on its election to the United Nations Socio-Economic Council for the 2016-2018 tenure.

The two PMs pledged to continue working closely together at the UN, the ASEAN, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the International Francophone Organisation.

Touching upon regional and global matters of shared concern, the Belgian PM stressed that Belgium supports the settlement of the East Sea issue by peaceful means in line with international law, the UN Charter, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, towards reaching a political and legally-binding agreement among parties concerned.

The host believed that the visit by the Vietnamese PM would deepen friendship and all-around collaboration between Vietnam and Belgium for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese PM, for his part, thanked the host for his support of bilateral links over the past time and invited the Belgian government leader to visit Vietnam in the foreseeable future.

Belgian parliamentary leaders support measures to enhance ties with VN

President of the Lower House of Belgium Siegfried Bracke and Senate President Christine Defraigne said they support measures to enhance Belgium-Vietnam ties that the two Prime Ministers agreed upon during their meeting in Brussels on December 2.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held separate meetings with the two leaders of the Belgian parliament following his talks with Prime Minister Charles Michel.

During the meetings, PM Dung spoke highly of the Belgian Senate and Lower House’s role in promoting Vietnam-Belgium ties as well as their contributions to the success of the 132 nd Assembly of the World Inter-Parliamentary Union that was held in Hanoi last March.

Siegfried Bracke stressed that the Belgian Lower House attaches importance to improving the efficiency of and further expanding cooperation with Vietnam to match each one’s potential and aspiration.

The Senate President, for her part, hailed the visit and outcomes of talks between the Vietnamese PM with his Belgian counterpart and parliamentary leaders as manifestation of the close political ties between the two countries.

Host and guest shared the view that Vietnam and Belgium should continue carrying out projects and fully tap their potential to develop bilateral links across economics, trade, investment, education-training, science-technology and climate change response.

The hosts affirmed their support of the strengthening of the Vietnam-European Union comprehensive partnership, the EU’s early ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Vietnam, recognition of Vietnam as a market economy as well as the early signing of the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement.

VNA