Party General Secretary and President, spouse visit Royal Library of Belgium

Established in 1837, the Royal Library of Belgium, also known as the National Library of Belgium, holds collections of major historical significance and serves as the legal repository for all books published in Belgium or abroad by Belgian authors.

As the nation's largest library, it houses over 6 million items across more than 150 kilometers of shelving, including 4 million book volumes, 21,500 magazines, 150,000 maps, 32,000 manuscripts, 300,000 rare printed documents, 700,000 prints and photographs, 9,200 microfilms, and 50,000 audio-visual recordings.

The institution also preserves valuable works, blueprints, sheet music, coins, and medals, alongside a major collection of Dutch-language artworks.

Additionally, the library features an American Studies Center housing a comprehensive research collection on the United States, comprising more than 30,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and specialized databases.

online access, establishing a dedicated Digitization Department in 2011. In March 2024, it partnered with Google Books to digitize over 100,000 books, making them accessible online through Google Books and Belgica.

Over the past decade, the Royal Library of Belgium has implemented a digitization policy for its collections to support preservation and online dissemination, with its Digitization Department established in 2011. In March 2024, the library launched a partnership with Google Books to digitize over 100,000 books, making them available online through Google Books and Belgica.

After touring the library, the top Vietnamese leader and his spouse presented the Royal Library of Belgium with an extract edition from the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks-a World Documentary Heritage item recognized by UNESCO. Each woodblock is not only a handcrafted woodcut artwork but also carries the flow of history, embodying the accumulated wisdom and soul of the Vietnamese people, alongside several books introducing Vietnam’s history, culture, land, and people.

Speaking at the presentation, he applauded the library's efforts in preserving and promoting heritage values while continually innovating its conservation, research, digitization, and public access methods. He noted that these endeavors help safeguard Belgium's collective memory and cultural identity while enabling present and future generations to learn from and build upon centuries-old values.

He underscored that over more than 50 years of building and developing friendly relations, Vietnam-Belgium cooperation has increasingly expanded across various fields, from politics and diplomacy to trade, science and technology, healthcare, and education-training. Within this overall relationship, culture has long been a traditional field of cooperation and a bright spot, contributing to a lasting bond between the two nations’ people.

The Vietnamese leader observed with satisfaction that the Belgian Embassy and representative offices of Belgian regions and communities in Vietnam have actively organized diverse cultural exchange and promotional activities spanning film, photography, performing arts, literature, and publishing, offering the Vietnamese public opportunities to access a diverse, creative, and culturally rich Belgian culture.

He voiced hope that the presence of the Nguyen Dynasty woodblock edition at the library will serve as a cultural bridge, inspiring readers and researchers to explore Vietnam's rich traditions and unique identity.

Looking ahead, Party Secretary General and President To Lam proposed that the Royal Library of Belgium and relevant Vietnamese agencies step up exchanges of publications and research materials, share expertise in preservation and digitization, and organize cultural and literary events. Such initiatives, he noted, will allow citizens, especially the younger generation, to gain deeper mutual understanding and further solidify the social foundation of Vietnam-Belgium relations.

Sara Lammens, General Director of the Royal Library of Belgium, warmly thanked the top leader and his spouse for their visit.

Deeply moved by the priceless gift, Lammens stressed that the heritage item offers vivid proof of Vietnam's long-standing cultural depth and serves as a meaningful bridge of knowledge between the two countries.

She reaffirmed that the Royal Library of Belgium will meticulously preserve and treasure these heritage items, maximizing their value, enabling readers, researchers, and international visitors to gain deeper insights into Vietnam's history, culture, land, and people.

Top Vietnamese leader receives Minister-President of Belgium's Flanders

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam received Minister-President of Flanders Matthias Diependaele on October 23 as part of his official visit to Belgium.

Top Vietnamese leader's policy speech at Egmont Institute of Belgium

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam delivered a policy speech titled "Turning vision into action – from political determination to a model for cooperation" at Egmont – The Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels on October 23 afternoon (local time).