Green Growth on the Agenda for Vietnam PM’s Brussels Visit

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung arrived in Belgium for the first leg of his week-long Europe visit on Sunday afternoon.

The visit was made at the invitation of Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

The two sides are scheduled to seek measures to foster bilateral partnership in various areas, including freight transportation, logistics, green growth and hi-tech industries, Vietnam News Agency reported.

PM Dung will also visit the European Union (EU), Germany and the Vatican to discuss ways to further beef up the cooperation between Vietnam and its European partners.

He will also attend the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting themed “Responsible Partnership for Growth and Security” in Italy from October 16 to 17.

He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Van Nen, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son and other senior officials.

Vietnam and the 28-member European Union established diplomatic relations in 1990. The two sides signed a framework Partnership and Co-operation Agreement and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement negotiations are underway.

Vietnam has set up strategic partnerships with six EU members – the UK, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Italy.

Trade is a pillar of ties between the two sides, since the EU is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner and top export market for Vietnam.