PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Minister-President of the Flanders region Geert Bourgeois in Hanoi on May 14 (Source: VNA)

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan told visiting Minister-President of the Flanders region Geert Bourgeois in Hanoi yesterday that Vietnamese businesses want to cooperate with Belgian partners, and the Vietnamese Government encourages local people and enterprises to enhance business cooperation with firms from the EU, including Belgium, as the two sides hold substantial cooperation potential.

He said that Vietnam highly values Belgium’s role in the EU as well as its cooperation and support for Vietnam particularly in education, training, economy and trade. Vietnam’s signing of the free trade agreement with the EU promotes collaboration between the two sides. He expressed his belief that Belgium will encourage other EU member countries to soon approve the deal.

Minister-President Geert Bourgeois noted his support for the approval of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and held that the pact would create a momentum for economic and trade links between Vietnam and EU member countries.