Top Belgian legislators hail Viet Nam’s growing int’l standing
VGP - General Secretary and President To Lam had a meeting with Belgian President of the Senate Vincent Blondel and President of the Belgian House of Representatives Peter De Roover in Brussels, on October 23 (local time).
General Secretary and President To Lam (C) meets Belgian President of the Senate Vincent Blondel (L) and President of the Belgian House of Representatives Peter De Roover, Brussels, October 23 (local time), 2026 - Photo: VNA
The top Belgian legislators spoke highly of Viet Nam's socio-economic development achievements and its growing international standing, reaffirming that Belgium attaches importance to the friendship between the two countries and wishes to strengthen ties with the National Assembly of Viet Nam.
The hosts welcomed Viet Nam's visa exemption policy for Belgian citizens, with a duration of stay of up to 45 days, noting that the policy would help promote greater mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges.
The Belgian Chamber of Representatives officially voted to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) on October 22, just before the meeting, they noted, adding that this was a clear testament of Belgium's resovel to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation with Viet Nam.
To Lam, for his side, warmly welcomed the Belgian Chamber of Representatives' ratification of EVIPA during his visit, expressing his belief that the EVFTA would create further favorable conditions for cooperation between the two countries, particularly for their businesses.
He also expressed his profound gratitude for the Belgian Chamber of Representatives as the first and, to date, the only foreign legislative body to adopt a resolution in October 2023 calling for support for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
To Lam called on both sides to continue maintaining exchanges of delegations and meetings between the leaders and specialized bodies of the two countries' legislatures; strengthening the sharing of experience in legislation, oversight, and institutional development; promoting the role of friendship parliamentary groups; and working closely at multilateral parliamentary forums.
He emphasized the potentials for maritime port connections, saying that cooperation should not be limited to freight transportation but should also expand into economic cooperation, investment, and many other fields, particularly following the Belgian Chamber of Representatives' ratification of EVIPA.
The Vietnamese leader urged the leaders of the Belgian Parliament to support the early elevation of Viet Nam-Belgium relations to a new level, step up economic and investment cooperation and make science and technology, together with innovation, a priority area of the bilateral cooperation./.