belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper) November 11, 2026 – Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Pieter Leenknegt has proposed establishing a formal municipal partnership between Ho Chi Minh City and Antwerp, home to Europe’s second-largest seaport, during high-level diplomatic talks. The bilateral discussions opened expansive new avenues for comprehensive cooperation across maritime logistics, advanced port operations, high technology, and semiconductor engineering. Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc welcomed the diplomatic outreach, emphasizing shared developmental goals for international transshipment expansion.
Ambassador Leenknegt Proposes Antwerp-Ho Chi Minh City Partnership
During a formal reception hosted on Tuesday, Belgian Ambassador Pieter Leenknegt met with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc to outline deeper economic and strategic alignment between the two municipal jurisdictions. As reported by Tuoi Tre, Ambassador Leenknegt emphasized that Antwerp—housing Europe’s second-largest port facility—and Ho Chi Minh City share extensive similarities in strategic municipal design as major international gateways.
The ambassador noted that Antwerp acts as a vital strategic gateway connecting international supply chains directly into the European market, making it an ideal model for bilateral collaboration. In response, Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc outlined Ho Chi Minh City’s ongoing infrastructure development initiatives, focusing specifically on the continuous expansion of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex. The municipal administration harbors ambitions to elevate the complex into a premier international transshipment hub, creating significant operational synergies with experienced Belgian maritime partners.
The diplomatic outreach builds directly upon high-level state engagements conducted in October, during which Party General Secretary and State President To Lam traveled to Belgium and inspected the port systems of Antwerp-Bruges to evaluate modern logistics integration and green port frameworks.
Expanding Bilateral Trade and Economic Indicators
Economic metrics discussed during the session highlighted robust and growing commercial ties between Belgium and Vietnam’s southern economic center. Chairman Duoc praised Ambassador Leenknegt for proactively fostering commercial bridges and business delegations shortly after assuming his diplomatic post, alongside acknowledging the ambassador’s visit to the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.
Between January and October, bilateral trade turnover surpassed US$658 million. Belgium currently maintains a cumulative footprint of 62 active investment projects within Ho Chi Minh City, commanding a total registered capital value approaching US$73 million. Local authorities reiterated their commitment to optimizing the investment climate to attract further Belgian participation, specifically emphasizing high-technology manufacturing, digital transformation initiatives, and clean energy transition programs.
To accelerate commercial integration, Ambassador Leenknegt traveled to Ho Chi Minh City accompanied by a dedicated business delegation representing Belgium’s Wallonia region, following an earlier October trade mission led by enterprises from the Flanders region.
Deepening Collaboration in Healthcare, Technology, and Semiconductors
Beyond traditional maritime logistics, the bilateral discussions mapped out targeted cooperative frameworks spanning critical technology sectors, pharmaceuticals, and environmental infrastructure.
Chairman Duoc identified the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries as premier municipal priorities, pointing out Belgium’s globally recognized strengths in vaccine manufacturing and advanced life sciences. He urged Ambassador Leenknegt to facilitate direct commercial matchmaking between enterprises from both nations.
Regarding high technology, digital transformation, and advanced semiconductor engineering, Chairman Duoc noted that Ho Chi Minh City possesses a robust technology ecosystem supported by a skilled workforce pool. Ambassador Leenknegt echoed this assessment, highlighting Belgium’s world-class standing in microchip research and design. He expressed strong confidence that linking Ho Chi Minh City with prominent Belgian research institutions would establish robust pipelines for specialized technical training and workforce development.
Furthermore, the diplomatic delegations addressed green transition initiatives. Ambassador Leenknegt highlighted Belgium’s advanced capabilities in small-scale nuclear power plant technology, pointing to the recent establishment of a representative office by the Belgian engineering firm John Cockerill Group in Ho Chi Minh City. The ambassador also requested continued municipal support to accelerate environmental engineering ventures, specifically focusing on the medical and hazardous waste treatment project at the Phuoc Hiep Waste Treatment Complex.
