Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (four from left) meets Vietnamese people in Belgium (Source: VNA)Brussels (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited theVietnamese Embassy in Brussels on the evening of October 17, where he met withembassy staff, representatives from the overseas Vietnamese community andVietnamese students in Belgium.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, and head ofthe Vietnamese Mission to the EU Vu Anh Quang briefed the PM on the community’ssituation and a range of embassy issues.
Quang said that the embassy’s top priorities are to promotethe Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation, and further developfriendship and collaboration between Vietnam and Belgium, as well as betweenVietnam and Luxembourg.
An estimated 13,000 Vietnamese people live in Belgium, hestated, adding that the community is lauded for abiding by the host country’slaw, integrating well into Belgian society and maintaining Vietnam’s culture.
President of the General Association of Vietnamese inBelgium Huynh Cong My shared that Vietnamese people in Belgium are delighted withVietnam’s achievements in poverty reduction and economic development, and eagerlyanticipate an early signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
PM Phuc shared the positive developments with participants,stating that the European Commission (EC) had, on October 17, agreed to adoptthe EVFTA and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) to submit them to theEuropean Council for approval of the official signing of the documents.
If approved, these documents will be submitted to theEuropean Parliament for ratification, Phuc added.
The agreement will have a huge impact on Vietnam’sdevelopment, he affirmed, adding that many European enterprises had already signaledan interest in investing in Vietnam in anticipation of the agreement at theVietnam-EU Business Forum held the same day.
He also asked the Vietnamese community in Belgium tomaintain their traditional culture and continue teaching young people theirnative Vietnamese language.-VNA
VNA
