The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has recommended that Vietnam and Belgium maintain a regular exchange of management mechanisms and policy information as well as ways of removing obstacles to boost bilateral ties.
MARD made the suggestion at a seminar to boost agro-forestry and fisheries trade ties between the two countries held in Belgium , on October 11.
MARD’s Deputy Minister Diep Kinh Tan said that agro-forestry and fisheries are fields that have potential for development and maintained a high growth rate over the past year.
Vietnam ’s Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Manh Dung, who is also head of the Vietnamese delegation to the European Union (EU), said that Vietnam ’s exports to Belgium have increased sharply in recent years.
Both parties are jointly introducing a number of projects worth millions of USD, in sustainable aquaculture, research, science and technology, he said.
However, he noted that only a small portion of Vietnam ’s agro-forestry and fisheries products are exported to Belgium , with a market of more than 10 million people and the rest is exported to other countries.
He said that the export revenues from these commodities have not yet matched Vietnam ’s production potential and the strength of trade ties between both countries, adding that both governments are keen to promote trade promotions.
At the seminar, businesses from both countries discussed areas of cooperation and explored the potential of market demand.
Deputy Minister Tan told a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Brussels that the seminar has helped to introduce many of Vietnam ’s major exports , including rice, to Belgian and other EU markets.
He said that he hoped the seminar and Vietnam’s attendance at the Brussels International Food Fair would help Belgian and EU markets get to know Vietnamese agricultural products better and that more Vietnamese products would be exported to the European market.
Source: VNA