The Prime Minister urges Belgium to push the EC to lift IUU 'yellow card'

On the afternoon of April 1, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with King Philippe of Belgium, who was on a state visit to Vietnam. The Prime Minister warmly welcomed the first-ever state visit to Vietnam by the King and Queen, along with the high-level Belgian delegation, since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister and the King expressed their satisfaction with the positive development of Vietnam-Belgium relations over the past 50 years, particularly in terms of friendship and multi-faceted cooperation. Both sides agreed on the necessity of continuing to deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as economics, culture, arts, tourism, and local-level collaboration. They also emphasized the need to strengthen the implementation of the strategic partnership in agriculture, with a focus on addressing non-traditional challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and pandemics.

Belgium highly appreciates Vietnam's role and position in the region and expressed a strong desire to further deepen bilateral relations in a range of areas, including education and training, healthcare, seaport development, green energy, science and technology, and innovation. Both sides agreed to create favorable conditions to encourage businesses from both countries to enhance investment and business activities in both Vietnam and Belgium.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended his sincere thanks for the valuable support the Belgian government has provided to Vietnam in its nation-building and development efforts. He also expressed hope that Belgium would soon initiate concrete projects to implement the resolution passed by the Belgian Parliament in October 2023, which supports the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam.

To continue supporting and contributing effectively to Vietnam’s growth in the “new era", Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh proposed that both countries strengthen their cooperation in practical areas where Belgium has expertise and Vietnam has demand, such as high technology, circular economy, strategic infrastructure, and human resource training. Additionally, he urged Belgium to quickly ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and called on the European Commission to expedite the lifting of the IUU "yellow card" on Vietnamese seafood.

The two sides agreed on the importance of enhancing exchanges of delegations and contacts at all levels, through Party, Government, and National Assembly channels. They emphasized the need to further promote coordination between the ministries and agencies of both nations and fully utilize the existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms. Both leaders acknowledged the crucial role of people-to-people exchanges and collaboration, encouraging deeper engagement through cultural, educational, and social initiatives. The communities of Vietnamese people in Belgium and Belgians in Vietnam were recognized as vital bridges for fostering stronger connections between the two countries.

Both leaders also agreed that Vietnam and Belgium should work closely together at international and regional forums to promote multilateralism, uphold the rule of international law, and tackle global challenges. Regarding the South China Sea, both sides underscored the importance of ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. They stressed the necessity of resolving territorial disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).