Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the EU Vu Anh Quang said Vietnam attaches great importance to developing ties with the EU and Belgium in particular.
Promoting partnership with the EU and its member countries is one of the major pillars of Vietnam’s foreign policy, he said.
The Vietnam-EU relationship has thrived with the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in June this year.
Meanwhile, Vietnam-Belgium ties have also expanded, especially in trade and investment.
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Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Vu Anh Quang |
The ambassador welcomed the contributions of the EU to peace, security and development in Southeast Asia, especially EU statements released in August regarding developments in the East Sea.
For his part, Jan Zahradil, President of the EU-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group and Vice Chairman of the European Parliament Committee of International Trade, said the signing of the EVFTA more than two months ago in Hanoi was a key milestone for both sides, and helped make Vietnam’s National Day ceremony happier.
Zahradil said as Vice Chairman of the European Parliament Committee of International Trade, he has followed the negotiations of the EVFTA and found this is the most ambitious deal the EU has signed with a developing country.
The EU-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarian Group hopes to continue playing an active role during the European side’s approval of the deal, he said.
Commenting on Vietnam-Belgium relations after the signing of the EVFTA, Prof. Pierre Grega, Chairman of the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Parliamentarian Group, said ties have been promoted in recent years and will thrive in the future, especially in trade, investment and training.
He said the ratification of the EVFTA will help expand trade and investment activities between the two countries. Vietnamese intellectuals trained in Belgium are expected to become a major force in the field, he added.
* The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia has recently hosted a ceremony to celebrate Vietnam’s 74th National Day (September 2).
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh affirmed that the National Day is an important milestone of the country. The Vietnamese people have shown their solidarity, bravery and steadfastness and overcome a range of difficulties and challenges to obtain huge achievements in safeguarding national independence and freedom as well as in national construction and development.
The ambassador also expressed his gratitude to the Russian people for their great and effective support and assistance to Vietnam during its struggle for national independence and post-war construction process.
For his part, Special Representative of Russian President on International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy said he is impressed by Vietnam’s dynamic development over the past 30 years.
Vietnam’s election as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure is solid proof of the country’s efforts, he said.
Shvydkoy voiced his delight at the warm relations between leaders of the two countries and noted that the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Year and the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Year will create a new impulse for the bilateral ties in all fields, ranging from military technology to and cultural exchange.
Source: VNA