Belgian officials bid farewell to President Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly at Melsbroek Military Airport, Brussels. VNA/VNS Photo

BRUSSELS — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm, 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.

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 Việt Nam and the Honorary Consul of Việt Nam in Antwerp, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the EU Nguyễn Hương Trà, 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 Lâm 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 Việt Nam-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-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and securing the early ratification of the EU-Việt Nam 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 Lâm 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 Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam and Belgium. — VNA/VNS