Top Vietnamese leader begins official visits to EU, Belgium

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Brussels on the afternoon of October 21 (local time), beginning official visits to the European Union (EU) and Belgium.

The visits are being made at the invitations of European Council President António Costa and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

At Melsbroek Military Airport, the General Secretary and President and his entourage were welcomed by First Vice-President of the Belgian Senate Andries Gryffroy, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Pieter Leenknegt, Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Antwerp Van Gestel, and other Belgian officials, along with Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the EU Nguyen Huong Tra, officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Belgium.

Vietnam and the EU established diplomatic relations in 1990, gradually expanding their ties from humanitarian and development cooperation into a comprehensive partnership spanning politics, economy, sustainable development, security and people-to-people exchanges.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation are greeted at Melsbroek Military Airport (Photo: VNA)

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which took effect in 2016, established the political and legal framework for bilateral relations. In January 2026, Vietnam and the EU upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, broadening cooperation in areas including economy, trade, green transition, energy, innovation, security, and regional and international affairs.

Vietnam and Belgium established diplomatic relations in 1973. Vietnam has always cherished the Belgian Government and people's wholehearted support for the country's post-war reconstruction and recovery.

Over more than five decades, bilateral relations have continued to strengthen across various fields, particularly politics and diplomacy, trade, agriculture, education and training, science and technology, and development collaboration. Cooperation has expanded at the federal, regional and community levels.

Belgium attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam, speaks highly of the country's economic development and has been a valued international partner contributing to Vietnam's progress through development cooperation programmes.

The two countries also actively coordinate at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEAN-EU frameworks.

The official visits by General Secretary and President Lam to the EU and Belgium reaffirm the importance Vietnam attaches to both partners in its overall foreign policy and international integration strategy.

The visits are expected to consolidate political trust, deepen relations with the two partners and translate existing high-level commitments into concrete, practical actions, laying the groundwork for a new and higher stage of development in Vietnam's relations with the EU and Belgium./.