President of the Belgian Senate Stéphanie D'Hose on August 29 concluded her nine-day visit to Vietnam, which was made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) welcomes President of the Belgian Senate Stéphanie D'Hose in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – President of the Belgian Senate StéphanieD'Hose on August 29 concluded her nine-day visit to Vietnam, which was made atthe invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
During his stay, D'Hose paid a courtesy call to President VoVan Thuong, and had a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. She heldtalks with NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and had a working session with ForeignMinister Bui Thanh Son.
She also visited the central provinces of Quang Tri and ThuaThien-Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City, while touring some projects conducted under thecooperation between Vietnam and Belgium.
Stéphanie D'Hose is the highest-ranking guest fromBelgium that Vietnam has welcomed in 2023 when the two countries arecelebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations andfive-year strategic partnership in agriculture. This is a chance for the twosides to discuss orientations and measures to strengthen bilateral friendship andcooperation, including ties between the two legislatures.
During her visit, leaders of the two sides agreed to speedup cooperation programmes and projects in areas of education, investment, climatechange response, digital transformation, and green economy, while increasing people-to-peopleexchange and cultural activities, thus fostering understanding and bonds between the two countries' people.
Vietnam thanked Belgium for supporting Vietnamese people duringthe past struggle for independence and the present national construction anddevelopment.
The two sides agreed to optimise advantages from theEU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to bring two-way trade to 7 billion USDin the next 2-3 years. EVFTA is one of the achievements in economic cooperationbetween Vietnam and the EU in general and Belgium in particular. They highlyvalued the establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership in agriculture.
Leaders of the two legislatures spoke highly of thesignificance of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). NAChairman Hue suggested that the Belgian parliament speed up the process ofratifying the EVIPA.
Vietnam and Belgium also concurred to increase the exchangeof delegations at all levels, including those from parliament committees, friendshipparliamentarians’ associations, women and young parliamentarians' groups.
The two countries will also promote the consultationmechanism and support each other at multilateral parliamentary forums, whilecoordinating with each other in realising sustainable development goals andsupervising the implementation of agreements signed between the twoGovernments, and supporting and hastening the cooperation among localities andbusinesses of the two countries./.
President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose arrived in Hanoi on August 21, starting her official visit to Vietnam from August 21 to 25. The visit is made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on August 22 received President of the Belgian Senate Stéphanie D'Hose who is on an official visit to Vietnam from August 21-25.
President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception for visiting President of the Belgian Senate Stéphanie D'Hose in Hanoi on August 22, during which he affirmed that the State and people of Vietnam always treasure relations with Belgium and are keen on lifting up bilateral ties to a new height.
Director General of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vu Viet Trang on August 28 had a meeting with a delegation from the Governments of the French-Speaking Community of Belgium (Wallonie-Bruxelles) and the Walloon Region in Vietnam.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Thirty years ago, on July 28, 1995, Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN marked a historic strategic decision, opening a new chapter in the country’s integration process and beginning its strong rise.
Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang has outlined specific priorities and proposals for cooperation with the UNODA in preparation for the upcoming 11th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
The Vietnamese Party leader's visit is therefore expected to mark a new stage in the development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, with a focus on such areas as digital transformation, supply chains, semiconductors, clean energy, and maritime security, Choe assessed.
At their meeting, which took place in the Angolan capital of Luanda on August 7 as part of State President Luong Cuong’s ongoing state visit to the African nation, the two officials also agreed to make full use of existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the Vietnam – Angola Intergovernmental Committee, and step up exchanges of delegations at all levels.
President Luong Cuong's talks with his Angolan counterrpart João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Vietnamese leader's receptions for a delegation from the Japan – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, and the Government's regular meeting for July are among news highlights on August 7 evening.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) welcomes President of the Belgian Senate Stéphanie D'Hose in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) 
