King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, together with a delegation of officials, will pay a state visit to Vietnam next week, from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 April. This is the first official Belgian state visit to Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973.

The Belgian delegation will travel from north to south and will be accompanied by Foreign minister Maxime Prévot, president of the Board of Directors at the Belgian Foreign ministry Theodora Gentzis and representatives of the regional governments.

The plans include the opening of a new plant in the Deep C complex. This vast industrial area has been developed and managed by a joint venture between Belgian construction group CFE and holding company Ackermans & Van Haaren. It is the biggest Belgian investment in Vietnam.

Agent Orange

The delegation will also visit an exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City on Agent Orange, a defoliant widely used by the US during the Vietnam War. According to the Vietnamese Red Cross, up to one million people have been disabled or have health problems as a result. In late 2023, Belgium became the first country to pass a resolution expressing support for Vietnamese victims of the poison.

On Thursday evening, Belgium will host the traditional official reception to conclude the visit. The delegation will return to Brussels on Friday.

While this is the first official state visit to Vietnam, Philippe led an economic mission there as prince, and Queen Mathilde visited the country two years ago as honorary president of Unicef Belgium.