Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged Vietnam and Belgium to optimize the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EUVFTA) and help bilateral trade reach $7 billion in the next two or three years.

At a meeting with visiting Belgian Senate President Stephanie D'Hose on August 21, Prime Minister Chinh called on the country to continue creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese seafood and farm products such as rice, coffee, and seasonal agricultural products, as well as garments, leather and footwear, and electronics to enter the country and the EU.

He also proposed that the Belgian Senate accelerate the early approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EUVIPA) by the Belgian Federal Parliament as well as the European Commission's early removal of the ''yellow card'' warning against Vietnam on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Belgian Senate President Stephanie D'Hose expressed her impressions of Vietnam's socio-economic achievements as well as the country's role and position in the international arena and its international integration. She said Vietnam is one of the countries with high appeal in the world, so many Belgian companies are interested in its market.

She told the host that the Belgian Federal Parliament is actively taking steps to have the EUVIPA ratified before the country ends its presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Belgian Senate will make efforts to deepen bilateral ties through practical actions, programs, and projects, focusing on areas that Prime Minister Chinh mentioned, mostly in innovation, trade development, and supply chain links.