Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to South Africa is an important historical milestone.

On the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to South Africa, attending the 20th G20 Summit and conducting bilateral activities from November 21-23, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong gave an interview to a VNA reporter about the significance of this visit to the bilateral relationship and Vietnam's position in the international arena. The following is the content of the interview:

Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong. Photo: Hoang Minh/VNA

Dear Ambassador, what is the significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 's visit to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit, the first to be held in Africa, for the Vietnam-South Africa bilateral relationship and Vietnam's position in the international arena?

The visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is a historic milestone, marking a new and strong development step in the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between Vietnam and South Africa, established in 2004. This visit not only consolidates the political and diplomatic foundation but also opens up a "new height" for economic and trade cooperation, on the basis that for many years, South Africa has been Vietnam's largest trade partner in Africa, reaching a turnover of more than 1 billion USD/year, and in 2024 alone, reaching more than 1.7 billion USD.

The G20 is a forum that brings together the world's leading developed and emerging economies , including countries that currently account for more than 90% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The forum was established to discuss and resolve important international economic and financial issues, but now the scope of discussion has become wider and more inclusive. This is the first time the G20 has been held in Africa, and is expected to discuss many global issues, including sustainable development, and will have Africa's own mark. The participation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will continue to affirm Vietnam's position as a positive voice from Southeast Asia, promoting the role of developing countries in global issues such as sustainable development and economic equity, contributing to raising Vietnam's influence in international forums.

Could you please share the main purpose of this visit? In particular, what specific areas of cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa within the G20 framework will Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh focus on promoting, such as digital economy, climate change or trade?

The main purpose of the visit is to implement the contents agreed upon during President Cyril Ramaphosa's State visit to Vietnam in October 2025, and at the same time prepare for upgrading bilateral relations to create new momentum for substantive, effective and in-depth cooperation. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will focus on promoting key areas such as: enhancing trade and investment with the aim of increasing two-way trade turnover, taking advantage of South Africa's position as a gateway to the African market, promoting the potential for mutual capital investment which is currently at a modest level; sharing experiences and cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, digital transformation; discussing global issues and challenges such as climate change and challenges for sustainable development. These areas not only bring bilateral benefits but also contribute to the common agenda of the G20, as well as promoting South-South cooperation.

What results does the Ambassador expect from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to the G20 Summit? Will this trip open up new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, and how does Vietnam expect to contribute to the discussions at the G20?

I expect the visit to bring about important concrete results, especially the two sides upgrading the relationship framework to a new level, affirming the respect they have for each other, tightening the relationship, and opening up and promoting cooperation opportunities, especially in the economic field; demonstrating a higher determination in enhancing cooperation through the development and implementation of an action plan to implement the new relationship framework. The trip is expected to realize specific opportunities for economic and trade cooperation, such as strengthening regional supply chains, supporting businesses of both sides to access each other's markets and those of each side's region, through activities such as business forums, investment promotion, including in the fields of renewable energy and high technology... contributing to soon achieving the target of bilateral trade turnover of 2 billion USD.

Regarding its contribution to the G20, Vietnam wishes to share its experience in digital transformation and climate change response, and propose equitable solutions for developing countries, in order to promote global solidarity and equality – in line with the spirit of “Cooperation makes the G20 strong” as emphasized by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. This will be an important step for Vietnam to continue affirming its responsible role in the international community.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/chuyen-tham-nam-phi-cua-thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-la-dau-moc-lich-su-quan-trong-20251120120440666.htm