Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)It is also expected to help Vietnam effectively takeadvantage of important resources from the European Union and member countries forits post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development.
The Government leader’s tour demonstrates Vietnam’sactiveness in and responsible contributions to the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) as well as the international community, particularly in thecontext that the region and the world are facing unpredictable challenges andcomplicated developments.
The week-long trip is hoped to help intensify andconsolidate Vietnam’s relations with Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, especially as 2023 marks 50 years since Vietnam set up its diplomatic relations with thethree countries.
This is the first time ASEAN and the EU have held a summitto celebrate 45 years of bilateral relations, with the participation of leadersof their member countries, since the establishment of the dialogue relations in1977, and the strategic partnership in 2020.
The Vietnam-EU relationship has developed extensively overthe past years. Vietnam is the first ASEAN country to have all frameworks for cooperationin politics, economics, defence and security with the union.
The EU is the third largest export market, the fifth largestimport market and the sixth biggest investor to Vietnam. In terms of developmentaid, the union is one of Vietnam's largest non-refundable aid donors.
Over the past 50 years, Vietnam’s relations with the threeabove-mentioned European nations have developed well, through the maintenanceof delegation exchanges and contacts, and the coordination and mutual supportat international forums.
Luxembourg is the third largest EU investor in Vietnam witha total capital of 2.6 billion USD, and one of the first countries to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
Luxembourg considers Vietnam as one of the priority countriesin development assistance with total aid reaching 129 million EUR (135.6million USD) so far. The two sides are currently discussing and promotingcooperation possibility in the fields of ecological agriculture and climatechange response.
The Netherlands is Vietnam's second largest trade partner inEurope and the EU's biggest investor in the Southeast Asian nation. Bilateraltrade reached 8.37 billion USD in 2021, up nearly 10% year-on-year, and 8.2billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up 36%. The country isrunning 380 projects in Vietnam, with a total capital of 13.5 billion USD.
Meanwhile, Belgium is Vietnam's sixth largest export marketin Europe with two-way trade reaching 4.3 billion USD in 2021, up 54% comparedto 2020.
PM Pham Minh Chinh’s will help Vietnam expand its collaboration in pharmaceuticaltechnology and logistics with Luxembourg, circular economy and renewable energywith the Netherlands, and marine economy and ecological agriculture withBelgium./.
VNA
