Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-Belgium FriendshipAssociation and the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam have held an exchange in Hanoito mark the 187th National Day (July 21, 1831) of the European nation and 45years of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (March 22, 1973).

The July 20 event saw the presence of Vuong ThuaPhong – deputy head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’sCommission for Foreign Relations; Pham Sanh Chau – Assistant to the ForeignMinister, Special Representative of the Vietnamese Prime Minister on UNESCOAffairs and Secretary General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO;Pham Khac Son – Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations;and Deputy Head of Mission at the Belgian Embassy Anke Van Lancker.

Chairman of the Vietnam-Belgium FriendshipAssociation Pham Manh Hung, who is also Deputy Minister of Education andTraining, said since Prince Leopold I became the first king of Belgium 187years ago, Belgium has swiftly become an industrialised nation with a developedeconomy and leading science-technology in the world. It currently ranks 21st inthe Human Development Index and has won 10 Nobel prizes in different fields.

He wished the Belgian people to obtain moreachievements to further contribute to the world’s development, prosperity andpeace.

Hung added that this year, Vietnam and Belgiumcelebrate the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties, which is asignificant milestone in bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Great strides have been seen in bilateralrelations over the last four and a half decades, he said, elaborating thatVietnam has become an important Southeast Asian partner of Belgium in allspheres, from politics, economy, trade, culture and education-training toscientific research. 

The two sides have also coordinated closely atmultilateral forums and international organisations like the United Nations,the Asia-Europe Meeting, the ASEAN-EU cooperation, and the InternationalOrganisation of La Francophonie.

Thousands of Vietnamese students, postgraduatesand doctors have been receiving training in the European nation. Notably, morethan 2,000 Vietnamese have finished the Solvay Vietnam Master programmes, theofficial said, describing the positive outcomes of educational partnership as apride of bilateral relations.

At the exchange, Anke Van Lancker said the twocountries’ friendship and cooperation have been marked with fruitfulcooperation in multiple areas such as economy, development, research andespecially education-training with over 2,000 Vietnamese used to study inBelgium and 2,000 others used to enroll in the Solvay Vietnam Masterprogrammes.

She expressed her hope that the Vietnam-BelgiumFriendship Association will continue to organise meaningful cultural exchangesto help promote people-to-people diplomacy and enhance the countries’friendship.-VNA