Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man called for deeper Vietnam – Belgium cooperation across all fields while meeting with President of the Belgian Senate Vincent Blondel in Istanbul, Türkiye, on April 17 on the sidelines of the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (IPU-152).
Welcoming the recent progress in bilateral relations, with regular high-level exchanges and enhanced political trust, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man highly valued the effective cooperation between the two legislative bodies, and reaffirmed that Vietnam considers Belgium an important partner within the European Union (EU).
He suggested Belgium continue supporting and accompanying Vietnam in the next development period by expanding all-round collaboration, especially in areas matching Belgium's strengths and Vietnam's demand, including science – technology, seaports, logistics, semiconductors, green agriculture, climate change adaptation, and saltwater intrusion prevention.
The NA leader also called on Belgium to advocate the EU's removal of the “yellow card” warning related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing against Vietnamese seafood, and further develop energy cooperation.
Meanwhile, Blondel expressed his pleasure at meeting NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man, describing the event as a reflection of the sound cooperation and strong trust between the two countries.
He voiced interest in enhancing economic ties, advancing the strategic partnership in agriculture, and boosting cooperation in both traditional and emerging strategic sectors. He also welcomed the stride in visa procedure exemption for European tourists, including Belgians, travelling to Vietnam.
Given Belgium’s important role in the EU, Vietnam asked for closer coordination to further strengthen the Vietnam – EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and proposed that the two sides actively contribute to the resolution of regional and global issues for peace, cooperation, and development.
The Vietnamese NA Chairman took the occasion to invite high-ranking Belgian leaders to visit Vietnam in the near future. For his part, the Belgian Senate President also expressed his hope that the top legislator and other leaders of Vietnam will pay visits to Belgium at an early date.
