Official logo marking the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Belgium diplomatic ties

HÀ NỘI — The Belgian Embassy in Việt Nam held a ceremony in Hà Nội on Wednesday to announce the official logo marking the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam-Belgium diplomatic ties this year.

Speaking at the event, Belgian Ambassador to Việt Nam Karl Van den Bossche said the logo design contest for the occasion was open for Vietnamese designers and young artists. Through various media channels, the organising board received 130 entries.

The winning logo was designed by Lý Khánh Linh, a 22-year-old student from Graphic Design Faculty at FPT University. It was inspired by famous cultural heritages of both countries with the hope of conveying the message of cultural exchange and friendship. It will be used in all activities of Belgium in Việt Nam this year.

The ambassador said the Queen of Belgium plans to visit Việt Nam in May 2023 as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. In September, the Minister-President of Flanders will lead a delegation of enterprises to Việt Nam. In the third quarter of 2024, the King and Queen of Belgium will pay a State visit to Việt Nam.

Belgium is now the sixth largest trade partner of Việt Nam in the European Union (EU). With 82 projects worth nearly US$1.1 billion , the European country ranks 23rd out of 139 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam.

Belgium has also been a donor of official development assistance for Việt Nam since 1977, with a funding of EUR 20-25 million per year. The country continues supporting Việt Nam through tertiary cooperation programmes, non-governmental organisations and private sector. Nearly 5,000 Vietnamese students had and are studying in Belgium.

About multilateral cooperation, the two countries have been working closely together and offering mutual support at regional and global forums such as the United Nations, Francophonie, and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Both countries assumed the positions of non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure and member of the UN Human Rights Council for 2023-2024, and regularly exchanged information. — VNS