State visit to Vietnam: a genuine, long-standing friendship

Belgium has maintained close ties with Vietnam since 1973. A state visit has renewed our partnership, which is based on equality, mutually beneficial investments, and genuine friendship. Sustainability was a central theme throughout.
 

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War likely still rings a bell with many. In the 1960s, it sparked massive student protests in the West. The conflict was between the communist North and the South, which received support from the US, among others.

It was mainly the extensive use of horrific chemical agents like napalm and Agent Orange that lead to resistance. Agent Orange is an extremely toxic defoliant, that had devastating effects on both the environment and the population. To this day – 5 generations later – the toxin continues to cause deformities and illnesses in children. There is still an area in Vietnam the size of Belgium that remains heavily contaminated with dioxin, a component of Agent Orange.
 

5,000 Vietnamese alumni

In 1973, the American military withdrew and steps were taken to reunite the Southeast Asian country. Belgium was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the reunited Vietnam, which officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976.

Our country was also one of the first Western countries to sign a development cooperation agreement with Vietnam, as early as 1977. For years, we contributed to the reconstruction of the country, focusing on areas such as water, sanitation and waste management, governance and institutional capacity building, education, and agriculture.

The extensive university collaboration is particularly noteworthy. Every year, dozens of Vietnamese students still come to Belgium for education and research. Between 2019 and 2022, we awarded approximately 400 scholarships. In total, there are already over 5,000 Vietnamese alumni from Belgian universities. They have all forged a special bond with our country and are now using their talents in a wide range of sectors in Vietnam.

Economic tiger

Gradually, the Southeast Asian country developed into an economic tiger. This was partly due to the introduction of a market economy in the mid-1980s ('Doi Moi') and the opening up to foreign investments. As a result, one of the poorest countries in the world in 1990 grew into a lower middle-income country by 2010.

In 2019, Belgium and Vietnam jointly decided to replace their fruitful (governmental) development cooperation with a new partnership. This resulted in a relationship based on equality, mutually beneficial investments, and genuine friendship. That does not stop Belgian NGOs from still being active in Vietnam, especially Rikolto, Oxfam, Plan International, and VVOB. University development cooperation is also still ongoing.

The thriving, dynamic economy, the strategic location in Southeast Asia, and the need for diversification have also sparked growing interest from Belgian companies. In 2023, our country exported goods worth 1 billion euros to Vietnam, primarily vaccines and medicines (45%) and precious metals and stones (10.1%). Imports amounted to 3.27 billion euros, mainly consisting of shoes, headwear, and textiles.
 

Highest level

Despite our strong ties, so far no state visit, the highest possible diplomatic visit between two countries, had taken place. However, then-Prince Philippe has led two trade missions and in 2023, Queen Mathilde, in her capacity as Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium, visited Vietnam to promote children's rights.

So, it was high time for a proper state visit, at the invitation of the Vietnamese head of state. It took place from 1 to 3 April 2025. As usual, our Federal Public Service – the Central Administration in Brussels, but especially our embassy in Hanoi – played a significant role in the organisation. For example, we helped arrange meetings at the highest level, including with President Luong Cuong and his wife, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, To Lam, the prime minister, and the speaker of parliament.

There were also many cultural moments. Our royal couple visited, among other places, the Hô Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Hô Chi Minh, is buried. It is also the place where he declared independence in 1945. In Hô Chi Minh City, they paid a brief visit to the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, an important Buddhist site.

Deep C

However, the main emphasis was on economic and academic matters. Several rectors from Belgian universities and colleges – Thomas More, KU Leuven, ICHEC Brussels Management School, University of Namur, Artevelde… - signed agreements, along with Belgian companies such as Sterop (pharmaceuticals), John Cockerill (energy, hydrogen, steel processing …) and IBA (proton therapy …). The total comes to 17 academic and 10 economic agreements.

Sustainability was a key theme. As King Philippe reminded in his speech, both countries are “united in the battle against climate change, working towards climate neutrality by 2050. (…) Protecting the biodiversity and the immense beauty of the Vietnamese coasts is essential.”

A good example of this – and a highlight of the state visit – is the ecologically inspired Deep C. With nearly 0.5 billion euros, it represents the largest Belgian investment in Vietnam. Since 1997, Deep C has already developed five industrial and port zones in northern Vietnam, covering a total area of 3,400 hectares. This initiative has attracted an additional 7 billion dollars in investments, contributing to the creation of 8,800 direct jobs and approximately 12,000 indirect jobs.

Deep C is highly committed to sustainability and is a true ESG champion: Environment, Social, and Governance. Companies that establish themselves in the industrial zones benefit from services such as wastewater treatment, renewable energy supply, storage facilities, and ready-to-use industrial buildings. Deep C is a joint venture between Belgian companies Ackermans & van Haaren and CFE.

Another ESG champion is Puratos Grand Place Vietnam in Hô Chi Minh City. This largest chocolate producer in Vietnam was founded by Belgian Gricha Safarian, with support from the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO), which is affiliated to our FPS. The royal couple visited its Cocoa Project, a Puratos bakery school where vulnerable young people receive free vocational training with guaranteed employment.

Agent Orange

During the visit, the horrors of the Vietnam War were not shied away from. The King and Queen laid a wreath at the War Memorial where they were “deeply touched by the immense suffering of the Vietnamese people.” King Philippe brought to mind that during World War I Belgians were the first to suffer the horrors of poison gas. Hence, “the deep sympathy the Belgian people feel for Vietnamese war victims.”

In 2023, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives – the first parliament in the world to do so – unanimously passed a resolution calling for support for the victims of Agent Orange. Belgian company Haemers Technologies developed a promising method to remediate soils contaminated by Agent Orange, with a helpful push from Finexpo, linked to our Federal Public Service.

A pilot project at the heavily polluted Bien Hoa airbase showed that the technology is highly effective and sustainable. Haemers Technologies now proposes the Vietnamese government to clean up land in exchange for a concession for industrial development. Our royal couple met with CEO Jan Haemers and spoke with Vietnamese individuals with congenital defects caused by Agent Orange.

Bright future

The state visit took place in a very positive atmosphere. The major shifts in power and trade relations across the globe are well-known. This is why partnerships are so essential, especially with countries that share many of our values. “Belgium and Vietnam are united in their commitment to multilateralism, the building of bridges, and international law, particularly in the area of conflict prevention,” the King said. “Our countries aspire to a fairer world, where humanity’s well-being prevails over short-term gain.”

Building on our long-standing, close ties – in which development cooperation played a key role – the state visit forged new partnerships “like radiant pearls in a Vietnamese crown. They reflect a bright future built on peace, prosperity, and inclusivity,” added King Philippe.

During the state visit, our royal couple was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot; the President of the Board of Directors of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Theodora Gentzis; the Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, Rudi Vervoort; the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Elisabeth Degryse; the Minister-President of the Government of Wallonia, Adrien Dolimont; and the Flemish Minister for Brussels and Media, Cieltje Van Achter – as well as a delegation of businesspeople and academics (31 CEOs and 16 rectors).