President of the Belgian Senate Christine Defraigne paid a visit to Vietnam on November 3 at the invitation of Chairman of National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam Nguyen Sinh Hung.
 
Ms. Christine Defraigne had a talk with Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung following an official welcome ceremony at the National Assembly House yesterday evening.
 
During the talk, NA chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung expressed his pleasure for good cooperation relations between the two countries and the two congresses in the previous years.
 
The two-way trade turnover valued at US$ 2.3 billion last year, and reached US$ 1.1 billion in the first six months this year.  At present, Vietnam attracts nearly US$ 500 million investment capital from Belgium.
 
Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung hoped the two countries would promote further cooperation in logistics, high technology, green growth, and vocational training.
 
Moreover, the NA chairman called for Belgium’s support of signing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in 2015, and recognizing Vietnam’s market economy regulation.
 
Mrs. Christine Defraigne appreciated two countries’ relationship in health, education and training and she hoped the cooperative relations would continue to strengthen at multilateral forums such as the Inter-parliamentary Union, the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) Meeting, and the Francophone Parliamentary Alliance (APF).
 
Belgium ratified the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Free Trade Agreement and it is going to urge other EU countries to early sign the agreement, she said
 
At the meeting, the two legislatures agreed to strengthen experience exchange and co-operation in various activities.
 
On the same day, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had a meeting with the President of the Belgian Senate and he also hoped that Vietnam and Belgium would tighten the cooperation in upcoming time.

By Bao Minh- Lam Nguyen- Translated by Huyen Huong