The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Belgium announced at a joint press conference in Brussels on October 16 that they had agreed to promote cooperation between the two countries in multiple fields.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel witness the signing of some cooperation documents between agencies and businesses of the two countries. (Photo: VNA)

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel co-chaired the press conference following their talks.

The Vietnamese PM said he and PM Charles Michel had agreed to bolster ties in agriculture, eduction-training, culture, transport and facilitation of business and investment, especially when the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement will be signed soon.

He told the press that many Belgian-invested projects in Vietnam have been successful, adding that Vietnam is making constant efforts to improve its investment environment.

He added that Belgian had agreed to push for the signing of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement, thus facilitating trade and investment between the two countries.

Phuc announced that he had invited the Belgian PM to visit Vietnam and his invitation had been accepted.

PM Charles Michel said besides many important issues to bolster the two countries’ economic partnership, especially in trade and investment, the two sides also considered collaboration in education-training and examined the framework to promote Vietnam-EU free trade agreements.

The Belgian PM said Belgium supports Vietnam’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021. The two countries will work together for peace and security in the East Sea, and raise voice to protest unilateral actions that violate peace and international law.

He also said Belgian wants to work with Vietnam in agriculture, helping the Southeast Asian country develop clean agriculture and procedures to ensure food safety.

The two PMs said they had agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea.

Disputes should be addressed by peaceful measures, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), they said.

Following their talks, the leaders witnessed the signing of some cooperation documents between agencies and businesses of the two countries, covering agriculture, food safety, seaport and other spheres.

They include a strategic partnership agreement on agriculture between the two Governments, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on improving food safety and hygiene between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, and another MoU on establishing a bilateral political consultation mechanism between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

A MoU on cooperation in research of smart port in the northern port city of Hai Phong between Vietnam’s Hateco and Rent-A-Port Group of Belgium and another MoU on cooperation in research of seaport investment and development between Vinalines and Rent-A-Port were also inked on this occasion./.

VNF/VNA