Top Vietnamese, Belgian legislators hold talks

Vuong thanked Belgium for its assistance to Viet Nam, asking the two sides to sustain collaboration in such focal areas as clean agriculture, renewable energy, digital economy, and green economy via the Belgian Government's preferential credit package Finexpo, in line with both sides' conditions and interests.

He called on the Belgian Federal Parliament to speed up the process of ratifying the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

The top Vietnamese legislator also proposed the Belgian Federal Parliament push the European Commission to soon remove its "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood.

He affirmed that Vietnamese authorities are actively implementing solutions to sustainably exploit aquatic resources for the country's benefit.

The NA Chairman suggested the two countries cooperate to improve their capacity to ensure hygiene, animal and plant quarantine, and the quality of goods following EU technical standards.

Viet Nam welcomes Belgian businesses to invest in the Southeast Asian country in the fields of green and sustainable development, maintaining existing supply chains, and developing new supply chains in which the two sides have strengths, he said.

He expressed his wish that the Belgian Federal Parliament would share experience with the Vietnamese legislative body on building legal institutions related to digital transformation and just energy transition.

The host welcomed Belgium and EU countries to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Viet Nam in these fields for mutual benefits, and support each other when Viet Nam and Belgium are both members of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023–2025 term.

D'Hose, for her part, said that the Belgian Federal Parliament is pushing for the ratification process of the agreement, which is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2024.

D'Hose told the host that a resolution is expected to be approved by the Belgian Chamber of Representatives on support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in Viet Nam.

The resolution will call on the Belgian Government to promote efforts to provide more aid to Vietnamese AO victims, and to support the Vietnamese Government in helping them.

This resolution is being consulted, and expected to be approved in October 2023, she said, adding that the Belgium-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group is very interested in this document.

Belgium is willing to cooperate and share experience and knowledge in researching and producing dioxin detoxification technology, she affirmed.

D'Hose said that the Belgian side will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam to organize a seminar to promote agricultural cooperation within the framework of the two countries' strategic cooperation in agriculture in October this year.

Both sides highly appreciated the two countries' establishment of a strategic partnership in the agricultural sector and wished to deepen the relationship with the establishment of a food supply chain.

The two sides agreed to increase the exchanges of high-level delegations and delegations of committees, the two countries' friendship parliamentary groups, female parliamentarians, and young parliamentarians.

They agreed to promote the mechanism of consultation and mutual support at multilateral parliamentary forums; coordinate in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals and the agreements that the two Governments signed.

They will also further support and promote cooperation between localities and the business communities of the two countries.

At the talks, the two leaders vowed to maintain effective coordination at multilateral and international forums such as the United Nations, the International Organization of La Francophonie, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)./.