Large business delegation from Flanders region (Belgium) visits Vietnam to explore potential markets

On September 12, the Economic Delegation led by Mr. Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs , Culture, Information Technology and Infrastructure Management of the Flanders region arrived in Hanoi, starting a visit to Vietnam that will last until September 16.

The Flanders Economic Delegation worked with Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Le Hong Son on the morning of September 12. (Photo: Anh Thu)

Flanders is a Dutch-speaking region located in the northern part of the Kingdom of Belgium.

During this visit to Vietnam, the Delegation will meet with Vietnamese leaders, representatives of prominent businesses, attend workshops on sustainable urban areas, smart logistics, climate change adaptation, as well as visit Deep C - Belgium's largest investment project in Vietnam in the past 25 years.

The delegation was also attended by 50 businessmen representing nearly 30 companies and organizations from key economic sectors of the Flanders region such as logistics, construction & infrastructure, engineering, urban planning, and agri- food.

During the visit, businesses will also have meetings with partners in Vietnam to explore the market and expand bilateral trade. The delegation will work in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City.

This is the first visit to Vietnam by the High-Level Delegation of Flanders since the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EVFTA) took effect in August 2020.

In addition, at the 27th Council meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) on November 26, 2020, representatives of Flanders participated as a development partner of the MRC.

Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Jan Jambon stressed: “Vietnam is emerging as the most dynamically growing economy in Southeast Asia. Over the past few years, Flanders’ trade relations with Vietnam have increased significantly, thanks in part to the visit to Vietnam by former Minister-President of Flanders Bourgeois in 2018.

Regional international trade in Belgium is a very competitive strength, which gives Flanders the necessary autonomy to develop increasingly consistent and sustainable bilateral trade policies.

Sharing about his visit to Vietnam this time, Mr. Jan Jambon emphasized the historical and strong ties between Flanders and Vietnam, and expressed his desire to explore new opportunities for mutual development.

The composition of the Economic Delegation to Vietnam this time is very diverse, representing a dynamic, knowledgeable and innovative Flanders, ready to promote the cooperative relationship with Vietnam to a new level.

The Kingdom of Belgium and Vietnam have a long-standing and close bilateral friendship and cooperation, especially in the fields of trade and sustainable development cooperation. In 2022, the total trade turnover between the two countries reached more than 6.4 billion Euros. Of which, goods from Flanders accounted for 93.23% of Belgium's exports to Vietnam, with a value of up to 2.27 million Euros, an increase of 201.21% over the previous year.

This shows that Vietnam is an important market and Flemish businesses are increasingly increasing their activities here.

Regarding investment cooperation, the Kingdom of Belgium currently ranks 23rd out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 88 projects and a total registered investment capital of nearly 1.1 billion USD. Belgian enterprises have invested in 15 out of 21 economic sectors in Vietnam, focusing on areas such as water supply and treatment; real estate business; processing and manufacturing industry.

Deployed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Belgium diplomatic relations (1973-2023), this visit to Vietnam by the Flanders Economic Delegation is an important milestone, marking a new development step in the partnership, as well as helping to further tighten bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy and trade.

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