 |
| On the evening of November 17th, the Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly , Tran Thanh Man, held a working meeting with the President of the Wallonia Regional Parliament, André Frédéric. (Source: People's Representatives) |
Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man expressed his pleasure at visiting Belgium in the context of 2023, when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of the strategic partnership on agriculture. This is a very significant time in the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Belgium, opening a new phase of development in bilateral relations and affirming the close ties between the two countries.
He affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to developing cooperative relations with Belgium – an important member of the European Union (EU) – and wishes to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Belgium in all fields, at the federal, regional and community levels, through Party, Government, Parliament and people-to-people exchanges.
Appreciating the role, scope of activities, and powers of the Wallonia Regional Parliament in the Belgian political system and on the international stage, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man also expressed his sincere gratitude to the Wallonia Regional Parliament for ratifying the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA); and hoped that Wallonia parliamentarians would use their voices to encourage Belgium to soon complete the ratification process of this agreement in order to create momentum for promoting investment relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and to create favorable conditions for Belgian businesses to invest and operate in Vietnam.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man expressed his pleasure at seeing that projects in education and training, logistics, agriculture, climate change, and environment in Vietnam, initiated by the Wallonie Region, are being actively implemented through the Wallonie-Brussels Delegation and the Belgian Embassy in Hanoi. He expressed his hope that the Parliament and Government of the Wallonie Region would continue to strengthen projects and forms of cooperation to contribute to the development of education as well as other sectors in Vietnam.
 |
| Overview of the working session. (Source: People's Representatives) |
Over the past period, the relationship between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Parliament has developed well through various forms: maintaining exchanges of high-level delegations, committee-level delegations, and parliamentary friendship groups. The Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly highly appreciated the relationship with the regional parliaments of Belgium and expressed his hope that the Parliament and Government of the Wallonia Region will continue to strengthen cooperative relations with Vietnam in the future.
For his part, the President of the Wallonia Regional Parliament, André Frédéric, proposed that the two sides could establish a joint committee to exchange views on projects and issues of mutual interest. He stated that during the 2022-2024 cooperation period, many areas such as education, health, and the environment had been implemented. In the coming year, the two sides could review the effectiveness and continue to promote such cooperation projects.
According to Parliament President André Frédéric, the Wallonia region boasts many beautiful landscapes thanks to the picturesque Meuse River flowing through it. However, due to climate change, this river is now "dying." He argues that this is a similar story facing the Mekong River and the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Therefore, urban and territorial planning needs to be reconsidered to find a balance between economic development and respect for the environment; otherwise, everything could be destroyed.
 |
| Delegates attending the meeting pose for a commemorative photo. (Source: People's Representatives) |
The world has also gone through a Covid-19 pandemic period with many issues revealed, therefore, the President of the Wallonia Regional Parliament, Andre Frederic, shared that there is a need for a re-evaluation and a different way of managing the world, where human relationships are prioritized, and solidarity and alliances between nations are fostered.
The President of the Wallonia Regional Parliament affirmed that, with all the good feelings he has for the country and people of Vietnam, he, regardless of his position, will continue to promote the existing relationship between Vietnam and the Wallonia Region.
Source
Comment (0)