Brussels (VNA) – A delegation of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee led by its member and Chairman of the NA Committee for Culture and Education Nguyen Dac Vinh paid a working visit to Belgium from December 4-7, with the aim of consolidating and deepening the bilateral friendship.

At his meetings with President of the Belgian House of Representatives Peter De Roover and Vice-President of the Senate Andries Gryffroy, Vinh appreciated the Belgian Parliament's coordination in advancing the signing of the cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Federal Parliament, based on the Letter of Intent signed in August 2023.

He thanked the Belgian House of Representatives for passing a resolution in support of Agent Orange victims, which contributes to raising international awareness about efforts to address the consequences of war in Vietnam. He also expressed his hope for Belgium to soon implement specific support projects.

The official proposed Belgium act as a bridge and prompt parliaments of other European Union (EU) member states to adopt similar resolutions, thereby strengthening solidarity and cooperation between the two sides.

Both sides emphasised the significant potential for trade and investment cooperation and pledged to bring into full play the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Vinh called on Belgium to facilitate the export of Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products. He also urged the country to urge the European Commission (EC) to promptly lift its "yellow card" warning against Vietnam's seafood exports, and acknowledge Vietnam's robust efforts in implementing the EU's recommendations for sustainable fisheries development.

In terms of education, Vinh requested Belgium to increase the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students and researchers, and encouraged cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), green technology, biotechnology, and agriculture.

De Roover emphasised the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in enhancing people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding. He also affirmed his commitment to promoting the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Meanwhile, Gryffroy highlighted the two priority areas for bilateral cooperation: trade and economy, and education and culture. He reiterated the importance of education as the key to sustainable development and affirmed that culture is the national identity and a bridge to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries.

He praised Vietnam's role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and expressed his confidence that the upcoming visit to Vietnam by the King of Belgium will mark an important milestone, further strengthening the Belgium-Vietnam comprehensive cooperation.

Vinh proposed both sides work together to prepare well for the King’s visit, including efforts to push up the Belgian Parliament to ratify the EVIPA ahead of the visit, considering this as an important outcome of the visit.

In a meeting with Minister-President of Wallonia Willy Borsus, the Vietnamese official highlighted the achievements of cooperation between Vietnam and Wallonia, particularly in the fields of research, education and training, and culture. He added that the collaboration projects between the two sides have been implemented effectively, bringing tangible benefits to both parties.

On this occasion, Vinh informed the leaders of the Belgian Federal Parliament about Vietnam's upcoming role as the host for the 2025 Bureau Meeting of the Francophonie Parliamentary Union (APF) on January 23-24, 2025, and the ꦇParliamentary Conference on Francophone Cooperation in the areas of agriculture, food security, and climate change adaptation on January 21-22, 2025 in Can Tho. He expressed his hope that the Belgian Parliament will show interest and send senior representatives to thꦿese important events./.