Thao made the statement while meeting with President of the Parliament of the Wallonie region Jean-Claude Marcourt as part of his visit to Namur province on March 22.

Both sides agreed to enhance ties bilaterally and within the Francophone community amid global and regional uncertainties. They also emphasized the importance of maintaining delegation exchanges between the National Assembly of Vietnam and Belgium’s federal and regional parliaments to further deepen relations.

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Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao (left) meets with President of the Parliament of the Wallonie region Jean-Claude Marcourt during his visit to Namur province.

Vietnam has reopened its economy in the post-pandemic period, Thao said. He expected that on the basis of the two countries’ bilateral cooperation program from 2022 – 2024, the Parliament of Wallonie will continue providing all possible conditions and support for stronger cooperation in priority areas, such as agriculture, healthcare, education and climate change response.

He also highlighted the E.U.-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) as a driving force for post-COVID-19 recovery and a contributor to bolstering the relations between Vietnam and Wallonie.

Highly appreciating the voice of the Parliament of Wallonie, he asked Marcourt to push for the ratification of the E.U.-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), which is important to provide a favorable business climate for enterprises from both sides.

Marcourt, for his part, said he looks forward to an opportunity to visit Vietnam and work with the Vietnamese National Assembly in the coming time and stands ready to accelerate delegation exchanges.

Wallonie treasures ties with Vietnam and highly values the country’s achievements during the “Doi moi” (renewal) period and what it has done to boost socio-economic development, he said, adding that the Belgium region is seeking cooperation opportunities with Vietnam in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, logistics, and climate change response.

He also pledged to further push for the ratification of the EVIPA at the Wallonie Parliament.

Source: VNA