Politburo member and Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung met Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation Maxime Prevot in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The meeting took place in Brussels during the official visit to Belgium by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation.
Trung said he was pleased to meet Prevot and thanked the Belgian foreign ministry for its close coordination in preparing for the Vietnamese leader's visit.
He noted the positive development of Vietnam-Belgium relations over more than five decades since diplomatic ties were established, particularly after the state visit to Vietnam by the Belgian King and Queen in April 2025. Trung said Vietnam attaches importance to friendship and cooperation with Belgium, an important partner in Europe.
The Vietnamese minister said Lam's visit gives the senior leaders of the two countries an important opportunity to exchange views and set directions for raising bilateral relations to a higher, more strategic and substantive level of cooperation.
Trung welcomed the Belgian Chamber of Representatives' adoption in October 2023 of a resolution supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. He also thanked Prevot for efforts to promote ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and welcomed the Belgian Federal Parliament's early approval of the agreement.
The Vietnamese minister called on the two foreign ministries to strengthen coordination of bilateral relations and turn the outcomes and directions agreed by senior leaders into concrete cooperation programmes. He also proposed closer defence and security cooperation, stronger political trust and effective implementation of bilateral agreements.
In economic relations, Trung urged both sides to promote trade, investment and cooperation in areas where their strengths complement each other, particularly seaports and logistics.
He also called for science, technology and innovation to become new priorities, especially semiconductors, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and high-tech agriculture. Other areas with potential for expanded cooperation include education and training, culture, tourism and healthcare, as well as stronger links between Vietnamese localities and Belgium's regions and communities.
Prevot welcomed the meeting and highlighted the importance of Lam's visit in strengthening political trust and opening new directions for bilateral cooperation. He affirmed Belgium's commitment to its relationship with Vietnam, praising the country's socio-economic development achievements and growing role in the region and on the international stage.
Sharing Trung's positive assessment of bilateral prospects, Prevot expressed his wish to further strengthen cooperation between the two foreign ministries and coordinate implementation of the visit's outcomes.
He also supported expanding economic, trade and investment ties, particularly in areas where Belgium has strengths, including seaports, logistics, high technology and sustainable development. He stressed the importance of making better use of cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Belgium's regions and communities.
Discussing regional and international issues, the two ministers underscored the importance of upholding multilateralism, respecting international law and promoting dialogue and cooperation to resolve disputes peacefully.
They also discussed stronger coordination and mutual support at the United Nations and other multilateral forums, while promoting Vietnam-EU, Belgium-ASEAN and ASEAN-EU relations to contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development.
Sources: Viet Nam News
