On 22nd March 2023, the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony in Hanoi to announce the official logo marking the 50th anniversary of Belgium-Vietnam diplomatic ties this year. Addressing the official launch of the logo, Belgian Ambassador to Viet Nam Karl Van den Bossche said that “We are proud to be Belgians in Viet Nam” is our slogan for the 50 years.
Speaking at the event, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Karl Van den Bossche said the logo design contest for the occasion was open for Vietnamese designers and young artists. Through various media channels, the organizing board received 130 entries.
The winning logo is designed by Ms. Lý Khánh Linh, a 22-year-old student from Graphic Design Faculty at FPT University. It was inspired by the famous cultural heritages of both countries with the hope of conveying the message of cultural exchange and friendship. It will be used in all activities of Belgium in Vietnam this year.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Ambassador announced that there will be many official visits with the engagement of businesses in the time ahead.
Specifically, the Majesty the Queen of Belgium will visit Viet Nam in May in her capacity as Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. And in the third quarter of 2024, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are scheduled to pay a State visit to Viet Nam.
The Ambassador underlined the need to better optimize the country’s great potential towards the final goal of a linkage chain with high-added value.
Along with investing in maritime logistics like the DEEP C Service Complex in the northern port city of Hai Phong, Belgium’s biggest project in Viet Nam, Belgium plans to launch more projects in the connectivity chain in farming and husbandry, such as a cold storage chain in the Mekong Delta which is expected to greatly benefit the agricultural community.
Belgium’s agricultural technology would be useful in helping Viet Nam to raise productivity and profits.
Apart from agriculture, the Ambassador suggested the two countries step up cooperation in green energy and climate change response, pointing to advantages of the collaboration such as new technologies and the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative.
Besides, Belgium is also a logistics hub and a maritime gateway to Europe, while its pharmaceutical industry supplies vaccines and essential medicines to the world
Belgium is now the sixth largest trade partner of Vietnam in the European Union (EU). With 82 projects worth nearly 1.1 billion USD, the European country ranks 23rd out of 139 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.
Belgium has also been a donor of official development assistance for Vietnam since 1977, with a funding of 20-25 million EUR per year. The country continues supporting Vietnam through tertiary cooperation programs, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Nearly 5,000 Vietnamese students had and are studying in Belgium.
As multilateral cooperation, the two countries have been working closely together and offering mutual support at regional and global forums such as the United Nations, Francophonie, and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Both countries assumed the positions of non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure and members of the UN Human Rights Council for 2023-2024 and regularly exchanged information.