Brussels (VNA) – National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue held talks with President of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium Éliane Tillieux in Brussels on September 9.

NA Chairman Hue said that his visit, the first paid by a high-ranking leader of Vietnam to Europe after the country perfected the leadership structure for the new tenure, aims to affirm the country’s hope to work with Belgium and the EU to lift the Vietnam-EU comprehensive partnership and all-round ties between Vietnam and Belgium to a new height.

He underlined that Vietnam highly values its relationship with Belgium in all fields, including cooperation through the Party channel and people-to-people exchange. Vietnam is willing to help connect the EU and Belgium with ASEAN, he stated, adding that Vietnam hopes to increase exchanges of high-ranking delegations with Belgium after COVID-19 is controlled.

He also took the occasion to invite the Belgian President of Chamber Representatives and President of the Senate to visit Vietnam in a suitable time.

He thanked Belgium for supporting the ratification of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), noting that one year after the deal took effect, trade between Vietnam and the EU has risen impressively at 18 percent.

The Vietnamese NA has adopted the revised Labour Code and a roadmap to join basic conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), he said, proposing Belgium ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement soon.

He suggested that Belgium support the EU’ removing of a yellow card on Vietnam fisheries sector, while cooperating with Vietnam in climate change response.

The Vietnamese NA leader expressed his hope that Vietnamese and Belgium legislative bodies will set up a cooperation framework to share experience in parliamentary activities as well as foster bilateral and multilateral collaboration.

He thanked Belgium for donating 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, expressing hope that Belgium will continue to support Vietnam in accessing more vaccine sources through COVAX mechanism.

For his part, Éliane Tillieux said that Belgium is willing to assist and cooperate other countries, including Vietnam, in COVID-19 control.

She agreed with Hue on the need to foster cooperation between the two legislative bodies, friendship parliamentary groups, sectors as well as people-to-people exchange. The International Francophone Organisation, to which Vietnam and Belgium are members, is also a good channel for both sides to bolster bilateral partnership, she said.

She said that the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium will consider the EVIPA in the time to come, suggesting that partnership between the friendship parliamentary groups of both sides is also an effective channel to help promote the ratification process of the deal./.