Brussels (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam received Minister-President of the Wallonia region Adrien Dolimont in Brussels on October 23, part of his official visit to Belgium.
The Vietnamese leader highly valued the role and stature of Wallonia – one of Belgium's oldest industrial hubs and a leading centre for science, technology, and innovation – with key strengths in life sciences, healthcare, aerospace, precision engineering, and green technology.
Speaking highly of the cooperation foundation built over the past three decades, he acknowledged the active contributions by Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Delegation in Hanoi to Vietnam–Belgium relations.
Effective cooperation programmes in education – training, scientific research, and culture, particularly the heritage preservation project in Hue, have become bright spots in bilateral ties, he noted.
Discussing future orientations, General Secretary and President Lam suggested that the government of the Wallonia region support the early elevation of Vietnam–Belgium ties to a Strategic Partnership.
He proposed that capitalising on the Vietnam–Wallonia-Brussels Permanent Joint Committee mechanism, the two sides make science – technology, healthcare, and life sciences new focuses of cooperation, while expanding linkages between their universities and research institutes, and stepping up student exchanges.
The Vietnamese leader encouraged Wallonian enterprises to boost investment and technology transfer in areas of their strength such as high-tech industries, energy, and the green transition. He also asked Wallonia to share expertise and technology in sustainable agriculture, the circular economy, water management, and climate change response, particularly in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
For his part, Dolimont perceived that the official visit holds great significance and opens up immense opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and the Wallonia region.
Impressed with Vietnam's socio-economic achievements and potential, the Minister-President affirmed that Wallonia always attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam, a traditional and key partner in Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole.
He fully concurred with the proposals of General Secretary and President Lam, affirming the wish to continue building upon the traditional cooperation foundation and to promote existing mechanisms, especially those in education, healthcare, and culture.
Wallonia stands ready to expand collaboration into high value-added sectors such as biotechnology, life sciences, green industry, and innovation, meeting Vietnam's development priorities and aiming for long-term partnership, he added.
On this occasion, General Secretary and President Lam witnessed the handover of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture, resource management, and environmental protection between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the government of the Wallonia region./.