FM’s trip to promote Vietnam’s ties with EU, Belgium: Ambassador

Brusels (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son is in Brussels for the 24th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) and the third EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EU-IPMF) as well as a visit to Belgium from January 30 to February 3.

Vietnamese Ambassdor to Belgium and head of the Vietnam Mission to the EU Nguyen Van Thao said that the EU-IPMF gathers nearly 70 delegations from EU member countries and more than 40 countries in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as representatives from a number of international organisations.

The initiative was proposed by the EU in 2022, serving as an important mechanism for the EU and the Indo-Pacific region to share their evaluations on new developments and trends of the world, reviewing achievements and sketching out new cooperation orientations and prospects to connect the two regions, thus strengthening solidarity and coordination in dealing with common issues of the globe, said Thao.

He said that at the forum, the Vietnamese FM will deliver a speech on green transition, which is one of the promising and prioritised area in the Vietnam-EU partnership, as well as the inevitable trend of the world economy, and the development direction of Vietnam.

Vietnam, one of the countries that are hardest hit by climate change and environmental pollution, is in need of strong cooperation from the international community, including the EU, to mitigate climate change, enhance adaptation capacity and promote sustainable development, the diplomat underlined, stressing that this is an area of the EU’s strength. The EU has also shown interest in promoting strong collaboration with Vietnam to build a model new-style cooperation between the EU and the Indo-Pacific region in this important field, he added.

Meanwhile, the 24th AEMM, which is the first one held in-person after five years due to COVID-19 pandemic, is the continuation and promotion of important results achieved in the recent high-level events, aiming to lift up ASEAN-EU relationship to a new height, making it more substaintial, effective and strategic.

Regarding the Vietnam-Belgium relations, Thao underscored that the ties have seen breakthrough growth over the years, especially after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the European country in December 2022. The two sides have maintained regular high-level visits, he noted, adding that this year, the Belgian King will choose Vietnam for his only official visit outside the EU this year.

Together with the visits, bustling activities to promote economic connectivity and bolster bilateral trade and investment cooperation over the years have laid a firm foundation for the two sides to optimise their cooperation potential, the diplomat said.

He noted that Belgium is currently a strategic partner of Vietnam in agriculture, and a promising partner in many other fields such as infrastructure development, seaport, hydrogen, health care and pharmacieuticals.

Belgium is playing the role of European Council President in the first half of 2024, enabling the country to help Vietnam to promote ties with the EU, said Ambassador Thao.

In order to boost partnership between Vietnam and the EU, the diplomat proposed that Vietnam need to make comprehensive and systematic strategies to promote bilateral trade and investment ties in the future, with the identification of prioritised cooperation areas and potential partners, while increasing in-depth trade and investment promotion activities in the EU to deepen mutual understanding and connect businesses of the two sides, and keeping close contact to maintain collaboration momentum, held the diplomat./.