General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation left Brussels on October 24 noon (local time), concluding their official visit to the European Union (EU) and the Kingdom of Belgium at the invitations of European Council President Antonio Costa and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

General Secretary and State President To Lam and his wife depart Brussels, bringing their successful official visits to the European Union and Belgium to a close.

The Vietnamese leader and the delegation were seen off at Melsbroek Military Airport by representatives of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam and the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Antwerp, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the EU Nguyen Huong Tra, officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Belgium.

During the official visit to the EU, General Secretary and President Lam held talks with European Council President Costa and met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among other engagements.

At the meetings, both sides welcomed the positive momentum in Vietnam-EU relations, particularly since the two sides upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including by promoting investment under the Global Gateway initiative and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

They underscored the importance of fully implementing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and securing the early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

They also agreed to work towards developing cooperation in critical raw materials and further strengthening collaboration in technology and innovation, education and training, green transition, strategic infrastructure, the circular economy and the blue economy.

During the official visit to Belgium, General Secretary and President Lam met with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, held talks with Prime Minister Bart De Wever, and met with Senate President Vincent Blondel and Belgian Federal Chamber of Representatives President Peter De Roover.

He also delivered a policy address at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations and received the Minister-President of Flanders and the Minister-President of Wallonia, among other engagements.

On the night of October 22, the Belgian Federal Chamber of Representatives formally voted to ratify EVIPA, demonstrating the significant potential and strong commitment to economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

At their meetings, both sides agreed on the need to further strengthen political trust, maintain exchanges and deepen mutual understanding of each other’s concerns and needs in order to expand cooperation and work towards elevating bilateral relations to a new level.

In economic, trade and investment cooperation, the two sides agreed to pursue new breakthroughs and promote large-scale, strategic cooperation projects in areas where Belgium has traditional strengths and Vietnam has pressing needs, including seaport development, smart logistics chains, green energy, eco-industrial parks and high-tech agriculture adapted to climate change.

Sharing the view that science and technology offer substantial potential for cooperation, the two sides agreed to step up joint research projects and technology transfer, and expand collaboration in strategic and emerging technologies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and semiconductor chips.

They also agreed to expand educational links, promote cultural, sports and tourism exchanges, and advance practical cooperation between localities in Vietnam and Belgium.

Top leader and spouse depart for Denmark, European Union and Belgium

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Hanoi on October 19 for a state visit to Denmark and official visits to the European Union and Belgium.

Vietnam attaches importance to friendship, multifaceted cooperation with Switzerland: Top leader

The two leaders expressed their confidence that the official visit by the Swiss President and his spouse will further strengthen friendship, political trust and mutual understanding between the two countries, creating fresh momentum for the Vietnam-Switzerland Comprehensive Partnership to develop in an increasingly profound, substantive, effective and sustainable manner.

Top leader asks Hanoi University of Science and Technology to become leading research university

The Hanoi University of Science and Technology should identify and nurture talent from an early stage, linking education with research and production while placing greater emphasis on basic sciences, systems thinking and practice, said top leader To Lam.

Top leader pledges support for firms, presses tech self-reliance

The country needs more firms that master technologies, build trusted brands and run production networks able to compete globally. Progress over the next five to 10 years must show up in productivity, job quality and market position, said top leader To Lam.

Top leader inspects key infrastructure projects in Hanoi

General Secretary and President To Lam stressed that timely completion will ensure smooth traffic along the ring roads, better meet residents’ travel needs and improve connectivity across the urban transport network.

Vietnam, Panama exchange cooperation documents witnessed by top leaders

The documents include an agreement on maritime transport cooperation between the Governments of Vietnam and Panama, an agreement on cooperation in combating transnational crime, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation, and an MoU on tourism cooperation between the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Panama Tourism Authority.