Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu Chinh welcomed Belgian King and signed the in-principle agreement between the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin and the Aquitara Impact Fund 1 of the Kingdom of Belgium

On the morning of April 1, 2025, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong and his spouse hosted a ceremony to welcome the state visit of Belgian King Philippe and the Queen. The ceremony were attended by many senior officials of Vietnam, including Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu Chinh, President of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.

The visit of King Philippe and the Queen and Belgian high -ranking officials was an important historical milestone, bringing the bilateral relations into a new level.

Vietnam and the Kingdom of Belgium officially established diplomatic relations on March 22, 1973. Vietnam has always received the whole-hearted support from the Government and people of the Belgium for the reconstruction and restoration program after the war.

During the reception, President Luong Cuong and King Philippe witnessed Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu Chinh, President of VAVA and Minister-President of the the Brussels-Capital Region, Rudi Ventoort, exchange the in-principle agreement between VAVA and the Aquitara Impact Fund 1 of Belgium.

The agreement between signed at the Presidential Palace (Ba Dinh, Hanoi), on April 1, 2025, is one of the important events in the common efforts of the two countries to resolve the long-lasting consequences of the war in Vietnam. The purpose of this agreement is to establish a framework between the two parties to deploy cooperation aspects, including: Supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange (financial and material contributions to improve the care, treatment and livelihood opportunities for the victims); International communication and cooperation (enhance international support for Vietnam's efforts in resolving war consequences through global communication and cooperation activities).

Politically, the agreement shows the international solidarity and common responsibility of the global community in overcoming the consequences of war in Vietnam. Resolution No. 2406 was approved by the Belgian Parliament with the absolute number of votes on October 5, 2023, calling for a long -term support for the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange, along with positive response from the National Assembly of Vietnam on October 7, 2023, laying a solid foundation for this cooperation.

Under the agreement, the Aquitara Impact 1 Fund is responsible for calling for contributions from the network of partners, providing support for strategic international cooperation and direct funding. VAVA is responsible for planning, allocating the resources effectively and providing periodic progress reports. Both parties are committed to expanding the participation of international organizations such as UNDP, World Bank, as well as sponsorship frameworks from the EU and OECD, to optimize resources./.

Manh Dung