“United in diversity”
Located in the heart of Brussels, the Europa Building is the main seat of the European Council and the Council of the E.U. Its distinctive facade features 3,750 restored wooden window frames collected from across E.U. member states, embodying the E.U. motto “United in diversity.”
In an autumn morning in Brussels, General Secretary and President To Lam reiterated this message when addressing European leaders, scholars and diplomats. He said the Kingdom of Belgium possesses an invaluable diplomatic legacy: the art of reconciling differences and building consensus. Its ability to manage diversity has made Belgium a symbol of the spirit of “United in diversity,” a philosophy highly valued by the E.U., ASEAN and the international community amid today’s volatile world.
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General Secretary and President To Lam meets with President of the House of Representatives Peter De Roover (right) and President of the Senate Vincent Blondel. |
Welcoming General Secretary and President To Lam, European Council President Antonio Costa recalled his positive impressions of his visit to Viet Nam in January 2026. Their meeting came shortly after the two sides upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reflecting the political trust and strong determination to deepen cooperation.
European media have also highlighted the growing substance of Viet Nam-E.U. relations. Germany’s Deutsche Welle quoted Alfred Gerstl of the University of Vienna as saying that Viet Nam has become an important strategic partner for the E.U. in advancing its economic security goals.
At a high-level dialogue with leading European and Belgian business executives on October 22, General Secretary and President To Lam and business leaders discussed ways to move cooperation beyond trade and investment toward higher technological content, higher development standards and greater competitiveness. The Vietnamese leader stressed that the success of a technology project should also be measured by the number of Vietnamese engineers trained and the participation of Vietnamese enterprises in supply chains. Viet Nam, for its part, committed to improving project preparation, transparency and the resolution of difficulties.
The exchange of cooperation agreements at the dialogue provided fresh momentum for cooperation in areas including education and energy, contributing to efforts to make Viet Nam-E.U. relations a model of cooperation within the ASEAN-E.U. framework.
Common ground opens new opportunities
The visit also brought important progress in Viet Nam–Belgium relations. On the eve of the meeting between General Secretary and President To Lam and the Belgian parliamentary leaders, the Belgian House of Representatives voted to approve the E.U.-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). King Philippe subsequently conveyed the news to the Vietnamese leader. The move was described as tangible evidence of the two sides’ determination and potential to expand economic, trade and investment cooperation.
Viet Nam and Belgium established diplomatic relations on March 22, 1973. On October 23, General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, visited the Belgian Federal Parliament and signed the guestbook. He expressed appreciation for the Belgian House of Representatives’ adoption of a resolution supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in October 2023, making it the first and, so far, only foreign legislative body to do so. Belgium is Viet Nam’s sixth-largest trading partner within the E.U., while Viet Nam is Belgium’s largest trading partner in ASEAN.
At the same time, the Vietnamese leader noted that bilateral trade and investment cooperation still falls short of its potential. At the Egmont - The Royal Institute for International Relations, he pointed to a paradox of the current world: technology is bringing countries closer together while geopolitical divisions are deepening. Against this backdrop, Viet Nam and its partners need to identify common ground and overcome differences through dialogue and cooperation.
Viet Nam regards Europe’s new green standards as an impetus for economic restructuring and expects the E.U. to accompany the country with technology and financial resources. The Vietnamese leader also proposed connecting technology ecosystems, strengthening cooperation in semiconductor and artificial intelligence research, and building a “knowledge alliance” among universities.
The official visit concluded with a clear message of shared interests and common aspirations. Belgium’s motto, “Unity makes strength,” and President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching, “Unity, unity, great unity. Success, success, great success,” point to a common value that remains relevant in the new era: building cooperation on unity in diversity, respecting differences and working together for peace and prosperity. The visit has thus helped create fresh momentum for Viet Nam-E.U. and Viet Nam-Belgium relations and opened further opportunities for substantive cooperation.
Translated by Minh Anh