Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Belgian Ambassador to Viet Nam

The Prime Minister applauded the steady progress in the relations between Viet Nam and Belgium in recent years, highlighting the successful State visit to Viet Nam by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in April 2025, as well as the effective implementation of the Strategic Partnership in Agriculture framework.

He called on both sides to continue strengthening political trust through through frequent exchanges of delegations at all levels and across various channels, improve the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms, and enhance coordination at international forums and organisations. 

In addition to sustaining collaboration in traditional areas such as defence and security, culture, education and training, climate change response, and tourism, Pham urged the two countries to expand cooperation into strategic sectors including science and technology, semiconductor manufacturing, and transport.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister also proposed that Belgium expedite the ratification of the EU–Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and support the European Commission's removal of "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood exports. He encouraged Belgian businesses to step up investment in Viet Nam, calling on the Belgian side to continue provision of non-refundable ODA, particularly for projects in education, vocational training, healthcare, environmental protection, and post-war recovery.

The Government leader took the opportunity to thank the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for adopting a resolution in October 2023 supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange, noting that the move has helped mobilise broader international support for the issue. He also commended Belgium's contributions to environmental remediation, dioxin decontamination, and socio-economic infrastructure development projects in several Vietnamese localities.

For his part, Ambassador Karl Van Den Bossche affirmed that Belgium regards Viet Nam as a key partner in the region and stands ready to support the country's socio-economic development, including efforts to address war legacies. He underscored that Belgium is the only country to have passed a parliamentary resolution in support of Agent Orange victims and pledged continued assistance for environmental clean-up and victim support programmes.

The Ambassador also expressed admiration for the organisation and outcomes of the 14th National Party Congress, praising the country's remarkable achievements in recent years and its forward-looking development vision. 

He thanked Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities for their close coordination in implementing activities and projects that foster comprehensive cooperation between the two nations./.