VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga presents the insignia to Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Paul Jansen (Photo: VNA)

Presenting the insignia to the diplomat, VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said Jansen has made important contributions to further promoting the two countries' relations at the federal, regional and community levels, especially in strengthening the ties between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Belgian Parliament.

He has actively supported Vietnam in the process of negotiating and signing the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), she added.

The ambassador has also cooperated closely with the Vietnam - Belgium Friendship Association and VUFO, as well as actively participated in the organisation of related friendship, cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, Nga said.

She affirmed that over the past five decades, the Vietnam-Belgium relationship has developed robustly in many fields, and the two countries have strengthened close cooperation within the framework of multilateral forums such as the United Nations, Francophone, ASEM and ASEAN.

For his part, Jansen expressed his honour to receive the insignia and highlighted VUFO’s important role in boosting the relationship between Belgium and Vietnam.

Appreciating the assistance from the Vietnamese side throughout his tenure, he hoped the bilateral relations will grow further in the future.