State visit Vietnam – Day 3 (Ho Chi Minh City)

After enriching visits to Hanoi and Hai Phong, the Sovereigns will conclude their State visit to Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. Here, they will have the opportunity to highlight the efforts of Belgian companies to promote social equality and sustainable development.

The day will start with an official meeting between the Sovereigns and the Secretary of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City at the historic Reunification Palace. The Sovereigns will then visit The Cocoa Project, where students from the Puratos bakery school will share their educational experiences and personal stories. The Puratos bakery school offers bakery training to young people from vulnerable groups. This visit underlines the important social impact of Belgian companies in Vietnam.

After a short stop at the Vin Nghiem Pagoda, an important Buddhist site, the Sovereigns will engage in discussions with representatives of the United Nations, the civil society and the business community, on the promotion of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) aspects in business. This not only contributes to the sustainable development of Vietnam, but also ensures an equal level playing field for Belgian and Vietnamese companies.

In the afternoon, the Sovereigns will visit the Agent Orange exhibition at the War Remnants Museum. During the Vietnam War, Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant, was used en masse, with devastating effects on the local population and the environment. To this day, there are still areas where dioxin concentrations far exceed safe limits. Belgium plays an active role in supporting the victims of this tragedy. In October 2023, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, as the first parliament in the world, unanimously adopted a resolution calling for support for the victims of Agent Orange. In addition, Belgium contributes to soil remediation through the Belgian company Haemers Technologies, which carried out a pilot project on the heavily polluted Bien Hoa air base. The Aquitara Impact Fund, established in 2024, focuses on large-scale soil remediation in Vietnam, with the support of Belgian and Vietnamese partners. A meeting with the victims of Agent Orange is a symbolic moment of solidarity during the visit of the Sovereigns.

The visit to Ho Chi Minh City marks the official end of the state visit to Vietnam, a trip that has further strengthened the strategic partnership between Belgium and Vietnam.