King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium listen to an introduction about technology used for cleaning soil contaminated by Agent Orange/dioxin during their stay in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium left HCM City Friday, concluding their five-day state visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of State President Lương Cường and his spouse, Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt.

During their stay, the King and Queen paid floral tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh at his mausoleum, and laid wreaths at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs on Bắc Sơn Street in Hà Nội.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm received King Philippe. State President Lương Cường chaired a welcome ceremony for, met with, and hosted a banquet in honour of the Belgian monarchs. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn also had meetings with the King.

The Vietnamese leaders highlighted the historic significance of the first head-of-state-level visit between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973. They expressed their belief that the trip by King Philippe, accompanied by many senior officials, business leaders, representatives of universities and research institutions, would create new momentum to deepen the friendship and multifaceted cooperation Việt Nam and Belgium in a more result-oriented manner, responsibly contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese leaders thanked Belgium for passing a resolution of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in support of the Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Việt Nam.

They suggested the two sides further strengthen practical cooperation in areas matching Belgium's strengths and Việt Nam's demand, such as high technology, circular economy, strategic infrastructure, and human resources training.

Additionally, they called on Belgium to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) soon and to advocate the European Commission's removal of the "yellow card" warning against the Vietnamese seafood industry for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

King Philippe said the geographical similarity, with Belgium located at the centre of Europe and Việt Nam at the centre of Southeast Asia, makes the countries gateways for each other to reach the two regions.

He shared his Vietnamese hosts' view that the bilateral friendship has been flourishing over the last 50 years, and agreed that the two countries need to continue working closely together to help address global challenges such as climate change and environmental issues.

On this occasion, the two countries’ leaders witnessed the handover of cooperation documents in the fields of culture, trade, climate change, and support for AO/dioxin victims.

During the visit, President Lương Cường and his spouse Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt, together with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium toured the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel in Hà Nội.

The King and Queen also visited tourist attractions, and cultural and economic establishments in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, and HCM City. — VNS