Vietnam and South Africa have affirmed a shared commitment to elevate their bilateral relations and bolster collaboration across areas.

Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong (R) and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa at the press briefing in Hanoi on October 23.

Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement at a joint press briefing following their talks in Hanoi on October 23 as part of the latter’s state visit to Vietnam from October 23 – 24.

President Cuong hailed the South African leader’s trip as a historic milestone which opens a new chapter to advance the bilateral relations for the benefit of their people as well as for peace and development in the region and the world.

Vietnam always attaches much importance to fostering the sound friendship with South Africa, he said, laying stress on the successful talks where both leaders reached consensus on orientations and measures to deepen the bilateral cooperation.

Notably, they concurred to upgrade the cooperation framework to a new height, laying groundwork for the political relations while creating breakthroughs in economic, trade, and investment ties as well as other key areas.

Vietnam proposed South Africa further open market for its products and facilitate their entry not only into South Africa but also into the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Vietnamese side also called on South Africa to offer incentives for Vietnamese businesses to explore and invest in its market, while expressing readiness to welcome major South African corporations operating in the fields of technology, finance, and mining to invest in Vietnam.

Besides, President Cuong affirmed that both sides agreed to promote collaboration in significant and potential domains such as defence – security, energy, mining, agriculture, aquaculture, and local partnerships, while stepping up people-to-people exchanges, cultural and artistic activities, sports, and tourism to enhance mutual understanding.

Vietnam and Africa pledged to continue coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the UN, the African Union (AU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Non-Aligned Movement, serving as bridges to foster collaboration between their respective regions.

Vietnam called on South Africa to back ASEAN and Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue to ensure peace, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as settlement of disputes via peaceful means in line with international law, including the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The State President emphasised that both leaders were unanimous to encourage competent agencies to negotiate toward signing important agreements to establish a stronger legal framework for future cooperation.

He expressed his confidence that the Vietnam – South Africa partnership, built on the goodwill and sincere spirit, will develop in a deeper and more effective manner for the prosperity of the two regions and the world as a whole.

For his part, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted that the bilateral relationship has steadily expanded across diverse areas, including politics, economy, trade, investment, science and technology, education, defence, agriculture, justice, and biodiversity conservation.

He affirmed that both sides are moving toward upgrading their ties to a strategic partnership, reflecting a shared commitment to comprehensive cooperation.

Seeing Vietnam as a key partner of South Africa in Southeast Asia, he expressed his interest in strengthening engagement with ASEAN, building on the spirit of solidarity of the Bandung Conference and the historical connections between the two continents.

The South African leader was also delighted as Vietnam accepted the invitation to attend the G20 Summit, considering it an opportunity for both nations to jointly promote multilateralism, peace, and shared prosperity.

President Ramaphosa expressed his belief that his visit will lay a solid foundation for more substantive cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries and contributing to regional and global peace and development.

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