Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong meets with the Minister and President of the French Community of Belgium

The two parties discussing cooperation issues in the coming time

At the meeting, Minister and President Pierre-Yves Jeholet expressed the pleasure upon his visit to Thua Thien Hue province and thanked the provincial leaders for their affection for the delegation. Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet congratulated on the province's socio-economic results over the past time as well as the province's efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, he affirmed that Belgium in general and Wallonie-Brussels in particular always considered Vietnam a priority and important partner in the region and wished to further strengthen multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam, including Thua Thien Hue province.

Chairman Nguyen Van Phuong said that Thua Thien Hue province has had many cooperations with Belgium partners over the past time in the fields of Health, Education and Training, as well as Culture. Currently, the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province is asking the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium to assist it in promoting the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of a friendly and cooperative relations between the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province and the Government of Wallonie-Bruxelles”. The Memorandum of Understanding is an important foundation for Thua Thien Hue province and the Wallonie-Brussels to strengthen cooperation in the coming time. Especially, in the immediate future, Thua Thien Hue province wishes to exchange and gain experience as well as cooperate in various areas of strengths and priorities of both parties, such as heritage culture, tourism, digital technology, education and training, health, environment, while at the same time strengthening the cooperation within the French Community of Belgium.

Chairman Nguyen Van Phuong presenting a souvenir to Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet

Chairman Nguyen Van Phuong suggested the Minister and President, the Embassy of Belgium and the Wallonie-Brussels Delegation to Vietnam continue to pay attention to Thua Thien Hue province, facilitate the effective implementation of the committed funding projects for the period 2022-2024 through Hue University and its member university, as well as Hue Central Hospital; consolidate the programs of friendship and cooperation, connect and introduce potentials and strong products of the province to call for Belgian investors and businesses to survey and seek cooperation opportunities with businesses in Thua Thien Hue province.

In addition, it is essential to do research in order to implement the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish friendly and cooperative relations between Thua Thien Hue province and the Wallonie-Bruxelles in 2023.

On the same morning, within the framework of a business trip to the province, Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Minister and President of the French Community of Belgium (Wallonie-Bruxelles), and the delegation visited Hue Imperial Citadel. Welcoming the delegation were Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Standing Member of Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, leaders of the Office of the Provincial People's Committee, together with relevant departments and branches.

The delegation being introduced to the characteristics of Hue Imperial Citadel

Pierre-Yves Jeholet and the delegation visited Ngu Phung Pavilion, Thai Hoa Palace, The Mieu Temple (Hue Imperial Citadel) and heard about typical features of Hue Imperial Citadel, part of the complex of Hue Monuments _ a place imbued with culture, history and architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty, which was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage in 1993.

The Minister and President of the French Community of Belgium (Wallonie-Bruxelles) said it was the first time he had paid a visit to the province. Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet and members of the delegation expressed their excitements at the ancient beauty of the architecture in Hue Imperial Citadel, and especially, their impressions with the preservation and restoration practices of cultural heritage values for these special relics adopted by Thua Thien Hue provincial authorities. Thua Thien Hue is known as the heritage land of Vietnam and the effort to preserve traditional, cultural and historical values is something to be applauded and learned from.

By Ngoc Minh – Van Bon