Photo: The Belgian Royal Palace
Roses for friendship: King and Queen receive Vietnam's President
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde received Vietnam's President Tô Lâm and his wife at Laeken Castle. The President thanked Belgium for its support for victims of the herbicide Agent Orange.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on Friday received Vietnam's President Tô Lâm and his wife Ngô Phương Ly at the Royal Castle of Laeken, the royal couple's home in the north of Brussels. The President was on an official visit to the EU and Belgium at the invitation of European Council President António Costa and Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
The King and Queen showed their guests around the castle. On a table stood an arrangement of pink roses with a small card reading "Viet Nam, Belgium. May your friendship continue to blossom".
Meeting again after the state visit
The King and Queen made a state visit to Vietnam in the spring of 2025. Tô Lâm, then leader of the Communist Party, received them in Hanoi. In April this year he also became the country's President.
According to the Vietnamese news agency VNA, King Philippe called the visit an important milestone for relations between the two countries, and thanked Vietnam for the warm welcome the royal couple received there. Both sides said they will work towards a strategic partnership, meaning closer cooperation than today, including on ports, research and technology.
Thanks for supporting victims of Agent Orange
The President thanked Belgium because its Chamber of Representatives is so far the only parliament in the world to have adopted a resolution supporting Vietnamese victims of the herbicide Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War. The King said Belgium stands with the victims.
Earlier the same day, Tô Lâm had met Prime Minister Bart De Wever at the Egmont Palace and European Council President António Costa. The following day the presidential couple presented a collection of books to the Royal Library of Belgium.