Party General Secretary arrives in Italy after successful Belgium visit
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| Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong meets with President of Wallonie Rudy Demotte on his official visit to Belgium. — VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung |
BRUSSELS (VNS0— Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his entourage begin a State visit to Italy today.
Trong left the Belgian capital city of Brussels yesterday after finishing his four-day stay in the country. Before the departure, he expressed thanks to Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo for facilitating the visit, in which he also met with key leaders of the European Union. He also sent a thank you message to President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.
During the last day of the Vietnamese delegation in Belgium, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented Viet Nam's Friendship Order to the President of the Belgian House of Representatives, Andre Flahaut.
Also on the occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh presented a Friendship Medal to the Honorary Consul of Viet Nam Baron Jo de Grand Ry.
On Friday, General Secretary Trong met with leaders of the Wallonia-Brussels and Flanders regions, Rudy Demotte and Kris Peeters.
During their meetings, Trong expressed his pleasure at the development of Viet Nam-Belgium relations at both federal and regional levels.
He noted that the Flanders region accounted for 84 percent of Belgium 's total exports to Viet Nam in 2011. The region also worked with Viet Nam on a number of education programmes.
Trong thanked the government and people of the Wallonia-Brussels region for helping Viet Nam to reduce poverty and promote sustainable agricultural development.
He appreciated the results of bilateral co-operation in bio-technology, medicine, logistics, transport and training. Businesses from the region have invested in more than 30 projects in Viet Nam.
The two countries are looking forward to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties, and the Vietnamese Party leader proposed that the two sides intensify exchanges and co-operation.
On the occasion, Trong witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on co-operation between Viet Nam and the Flanders region. — VNS