Nicolas Dervaux, Representative of the Governments of the French-Speaking Community of Belgium and the Walloon Region in Vietnam, gives an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA) He was speaking in an interview granted to the VietnamNews Agency on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Wallonia-Brussels GeneralDelegation in Vietnam and the 50th founding anniversary of the BelgianFrench Community (September 27).
The Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation was set up inVietnam in 1996. Six years later, bilateral ties continued growing well withthe signing of an important agreement between the Vietnamese Government and theFrench Community of Belgium, the Wallonia region, and the French Community Commission of the Brussels-Capital Region (COCOF).
More than 30 high-ranking official visits havebeen made, helping to enhance their partnership, mutual trust, and experiencesharing toward sustainable development, Dervaux noted.
So far, 783 joint projects approved by the Vietnam - Wallonia-Brussels GeneralDelegation Joint Committee have gained encouraging results. The two sides havegiven special attention to cooperation in health care, environment, newtechnology, tertiary education, vocational training, scientific research,culture, and the French language.
The representative said promoting the projects that combining scientific research and economic development will be the top common priority ofthe General Delegation. Win-win partnerships will continue in various areassuch as biotechnology, healthcare, and environmental protection. Besides,academic and cultural cooperation will also be enhanced further.
Highlighting the continued intensification anddiversification of bilateral ties in the coming time, he said the GeneralDelegation, the Wallonia Export-Investment Agency (AWEX), and the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning andInvestment, relevant ministries and agencies are actively consulting with oneanother to consider the proposed cooperation projects in some strategic developmentareas of both sides.
Cooperation orientations for 2022 - 2024 will be identifiedbasing on the Vietnamese Government’s priorities in the socio-economicdevelopment plan for 2021 - 2025 as well as the strengths of Wallonia-Brussels,Dervaux noted, adding that the level of traditional cooperation will beelevated and new cooperation fields created.
The two sides will focus their ties on social issues, healthcare, human resources development, culture, scientific research, industrial development,agriculture, and logistics, among others.
The Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation will also continueto focus on the cooperation areas that have proved fruitful, he went on.
Regarding the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) thattook effect in August 2020, Dervaux said the General Delegation has beenhelping Vietnamese ministries and sectors to optimise relevant knowledge, whichwill help fuel economic development, investment and trade, and reducedifficulties and trade barriers./.
VNA
