Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Diplomats and
Vietnamese alumni of Belgian universities gathered in a friendship get-together
held by the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association (VBFA) in Hanoi on July 20
to celebrate 186 years of Belgium’s independence (July 21, 1831).
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of
Education and Training and VBFA President Pham Manh Hung said the friendship
get-together is an annual event designed for those who love Belgium to meet,
share information and seek business partnerships, dedicated to promoting
friendship between the two governments and peoples.
Vietnam-Belgium relations have deepened
through VBFA’s people-to-people diplomacy activities, including delegation
visits, friendship get-togethers, celebration ceremonies, photo exhibitions and
more, Hung noted.
He affirmed that the VBFA will hold more
friendship events, including seminars, workshops, training courses, experience
exchanges and other events to develop the network of Vietnamese alumni in
Belgium.
Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas,
for her part, said 2018 will mark the 45th anniversary of the two
countries’ diplomatic ties and highlighted fruitful cooperation in multiple
fields, ranging from economy, development to academy and research.
Two-way trade has increased in recent years,
with Belgium the sixth largest exporter and eighth biggest buyer of Vietnam in
the European Union, she said, adding that Belgium has invested 600 million EUR
into Vietnam.
Education and
training cooperation is a success story with about 2,000 Vietnamese studying in
Belgium and another 2,000 graduated from an integrated educational programme
partnered with Belgium’s Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in
Vietnam, the ambassador said.-VNA