Strengthening the French-speaking Belgian Community, fostering Vietnam-Wallonie friendship
WVR - On the evening of September 26, in Hanoi, the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam organized a celebration of the Wallonie regional festivals and the founding day of the French-speaking Belgian community.
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| Pierre Du Ville, Head of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam, speaks at the event. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
The celebration was attended by Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Karl Van den Bossche, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, representatives from various ministries and sectors, along with a large French-speaking community in Vietnam.
Speaking at the celebration, Pierre Du Ville, Head of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam emphasized that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day, highlighting the importance of living in peace, friendship and harmony with the world.
The year 2025 also marks a significant milestone in the history of bilateral relations with the State visit of the King and Queen of Belgium. This visit provides an opportunity for both countries to evaluate and strengthen cooperation, especially in education and scientific research.
Mr. Pierre Du Ville expressed his delight that Vietnam was the guest of honor at the Wallonie regional festival held on September 20 in Namur, the capital of the Wallonie region of Belgium.
According to Mr. Pierre Du Ville, 2025 marks the beginning of the Vietnam-Wallonie-Bruxelles cooperation program, focusing on sending Belgian experts to Vietnam and welcoming Vietnamese officials and students to study and intern in Wallonie-Bruxelles, within the framework of 17 cooperation projects, particularly in key areas such as healthcare, sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, maritime law, logistics, French language teacher training and culture...
Looking to the future, the Head of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation pointed out that 2026 will also be a year filled with significant activities as it marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Hanoi (since 1996) – the only official diplomatic representation of the Wallonie region and the French-speaking Belgian community in Asia. He also expressed gratitude for being re-elected as the President of the Francophone Organization in Vietnam (GADIF).
Referring to the 20th Francophone Summit expected to be held in Siem Reap, Cambodia in November 2026, he hoped the summit would be a great success, providing an opportunity for the Francophone community to express their passion for the French language – a language of choice, success and the future.
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| Video message from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang congratulating the Wallonie regional festival. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
In a video sent to the celebration (also played at the Wallonie regional festival on September 20 in Namur, Belgium), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang stated that this celebration is a valuable opportunity to reflect on, appreciate and honor the more than 50 years of Vietnam-Belgium cooperation, over 30 years of Vietnam-Wallonie cooperation, as well as the French-speaking Belgian community and to continue moving towards a bright future together.
According to Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang, local cooperation has always been a highlight, making significant contributions to the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Belgium, including cooperation between Vietnam and the Wallonie region and the French-speaking Belgian community.
Since 1993, Vietnam, Wallonie, and the French-speaking Belgian community have established official cooperation, and to date, both sides have proudly achieved many practical results in implementing various cooperation programs in vocational training, healthcare, culture, public administration, language, environmental protection, renewable energy development, climate change response, science and technology...
"We appreciate and thank the invaluable contributions from projects supported by the Wallonie region and the French-speaking Belgian community for Vietnam's socio-economic development, improving the quality of life for the Vietnamese people.
Thousands of Vietnamese students and researchers have been and are studying and researching at prestigious universities and research institutes in Wallonie, serving as a bridge of knowledge and ambassadors fostering the friendship between Vietnam and Wallonie in particular and between Vietnam and Belgium in general", Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang emphasized.
Quoting a song from the people of Wallonie, "On s'aime entre frères de Wallonie. Et on est prêts l'un l'autre à se donner la main", Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang expressed confidence that with the determination, goodwill, and efforts of both sides, the Vietnam-Wallonie relationship and the French-speaking Belgian community will continue to grow stronger, contributing positively to the overall development of relations between Vietnam and Belgium, bringing happiness and prosperity to the people.
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| Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Karl Van den Bossche shares major milestones in bilateral relations. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
At the celebration, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Karl Van den Bossche reviewed the significant milestones of bilateral relations, particularly the State visit of the King and Queen of Belgium. Both sides are implementing specific outcomes of the visit, including addressing the consequences of dioxin chemical warfare in Vietnam.
Ambassador Karl Van den Bossche expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese government for waiving visas for Belgian citizens wishing to travel, considering it an important and practical step to strongly promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Additionally, he highlighted the alignment between Vietnam and Belgium in supporting multilateralism and efforts for world peace.
"The Wallonie regional festivals and the founding day of the French-speaking Belgian community are opportunities to strengthen the relationship between our peoples and governments. This is a vivid example of multi-level relations between the Kingdom of Belgium, its regions, and communities with Vietnam. Therefore, we thank all of you who have contributed to promoting this relationship", Ambassador Karl Van den Bossche shared.
At the celebration, Pierre Du Ville, Head of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation in Vietnam, Ambassador Karl Van den Bossche, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training raised their glasses to celebrate the Wallonie regional festivals and the founding day of the French-speaking Belgian community.
Attendees at the event enjoyed special French performances praising the country and people of Vietnam and the Wallonie region, along with Belgian-flavored food and drinks.
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| A special musical performance at the event. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
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| Overview of the celebration. (Photo: Thu Trang) |
