Ambassador Le Kim Quy: National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's visit creates strong momentum for Vietnam-Morocco relations in the new period

Ambassador Le Kim Quy emphasized that the official visit to Morocco by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man has many important meanings for both countries at both bilateral and regional levels.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man received Moroccan House of Representatives President Rachid Talbi El Alami, January 2025. (Source: quochoi.vn)

Ahead of the official visit to Morocco by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man at the invitation of Moroccan House of Representatives President Rachid Talbi Alami, Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Le Kim Quy shared with The Gioi Va Viet Nam Newspaper the significance of the visit as well as the areas of cooperation that the two countries will focus on in the coming time.

How does the Ambassador assess the significance of the official visit to Morocco by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, especially when the two countries are looking forward to celebrating the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations next year (March 27, 1961 - March 27, 2026)?

The visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man has many important meanings for Vietnam as well as Morocco, as shown in the following main points:

Firstly, the visit marks a new milestone in strengthening bilateral relations, being the first visit to Morocco by a key Vietnamese leader since 2019, taking place in the context of the two countries aiming to celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.

Second, this is a step to implement the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress on independence, self-reliance for peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization, diversification and comprehensive and deep international integration.

Third, the visit demonstrates the determination to further strengthen and expand the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco, especially between the legislative bodies of the two countries, creating a strong driving force for the development of cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, tourism, education and training, serving the practical interests of the people of the two countries.

At the regional level, the visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to Morocco (and Senegal) is also the first visit by the head of the Vietnamese National Assembly to Africa since 2019, demonstrating Vietnam's respect, close affection, and loyalty to friendly countries on the continent.

In the context of our country entering a new era, an era of national development, strengthening and deepening relations with international friends, including Africa, plays an important role. On the Moroccan side, the visit also reinforced the prospect of strengthening cooperation with Asian countries, especially ASEAN, through the active role of Vietnam.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Le Kim Quy. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco)

What are the highlights of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's visit? What are the Ambassador's expectations for the visit?

During the visit, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will have important talks and meetings with the Moroccan Prime Minister and the President of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate; exchange policies with businesses and meet with the Vietnamese community in Morocco.

During the visit, the two sides will review bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially parliamentary cooperation, and set out directions for relations between the two countries in general and the two legislative bodies in particular in the coming time, focusing on strengthening political and parliamentary relations, creating new impetus for cooperation in all fields, especially economics, trade, and investment.

The visit also opens up opportunities for contact, information sharing and experience in building and implementing development policies in areas that are Morocco's strengths and that Vietnam is very interested in, such as finance - banking, high-speed railway, renewable energy, logistics, etc.

During the visit, the National Assembly Chairman will meet with the Vietnamese community in Morocco, demonstrating the deep concern of the Party and State leaders as well as great encouragement for the local Vietnamese community.

Therefore, the visit to Morocco by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man is of great significance, affirming the political trust and sincere desire to cooperate and develop together with Morocco. The visit is not only an opportunity for both sides to review the past journey but is also expected to create a new turning point for the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco.

In particular, the visit affirmed the important role of parliamentary diplomacy, practically serving the interests of the people of the two countries, actively contributing to the Vietnam-Morocco cooperative relationship as well as peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world. This is also a testament to the strength and role of South-South cooperation, affirming the solidarity and friendship between developing countries, actively contributing to the development process of each country.

The 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday was celebrated by the Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco in Rabat, May 2025. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco)

Parliamentary diplomacy has always been a solid bridge for Vietnam-Morocco relations over the past six decades. According to the Ambassador, what should the two countries do to take advantage of this bridge to create practical and effective cooperation, meeting the sustainable development goals of each country in the new period?

Over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations (March 27, 1961), the Vietnam-Morocco friendship has been woven from common historical pages bearing the mark of the struggle for national independence and freedom and has been continuously consolidated and expanded in recent decades for the benefit of the people of the two countries, especially through parliamentary diplomacy.

Parliamentary diplomacy is truly a special highlight in Vietnam-Morocco relations, associated with many extremely important milestones in bilateral cooperation.

The mutual visits between the leaders of the two countries' legislative bodies are considered the most active and diverse among the delegation exchanges at all levels. There have been at least three visits by the President of the Moroccan House of Representatives to Vietnam, in 2015, 2017, and 2025. On the Vietnamese side, the visit by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man is the third visit by the head of the Vietnamese National Assembly to Morocco since 2005.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco was also inaugurated exactly 20 years ago, during the visit to Morocco of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An in 2005.

Morocco is the first African country with which Vietnam has signed a Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement, creating an important legal framework for bilateral cooperation, demonstrating the importance of the role of the legislature in deepening the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

In 2020, at the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) chaired by Vietnam, the Moroccan House of Representatives became the first African Parliament to be granted observer status to AIPA. This demonstrates Vietnam's trust and appreciation for Morocco's role in the region.

The two countries' parliaments have also established a Parliamentary Friendship Group, playing an active bridging role in promoting friendship and parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco in potential areas.

The upcoming visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will be a new milestone in parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. The visit will not only deepen parliamentary diplomacy but also contribute to promoting substantive cooperation in many other areas, especially economics, trade, investment, finance, etc.

To continue promoting parliamentary diplomacy, the two countries need to increase exchanges and contacts between legislative bodies; effectively implement the Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement; promote the role of Friendship Parliamentarians' Groups, actively coordinate and support each other in multilateral parliamentary forums.

The legislatures of the two countries also need to encourage the sharing of experiences in legislative work, building legal policies to facilitate socio-economic development of each country as well as contributing to promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Vietnam booth at the 17th International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM 17), June 2025. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco)

Could the Ambassador share his strongest impressions of the country and people of this North African nation?

I arrived in Morocco to take up my assignment in March 2024. During my journey of more than a year, the beautiful country of Morocco has left me with very deep impressions.

Although geographically distant, Vietnam and Morocco have many similarities, including important geopolitical positions, long-standing cultures, and both are dynamic emerging economies, deeply integrated into the international community, with strong aspirations and determination to rise up.

Like Vietnam, Moroccan people are very attached to traditional cultural and historical values, while harmoniously combining them with modern values, creating the unique identity and mark of the people here.

Cuisine is also a unique feature and pride of the people here. The famous traditional Moroccan couscous and tagine gradually became my favorite dishes on the menu.

When mentioning Morocco, it is impossible not to mention its diverse and unique cultural heritage, architecture and landscapes, making this country a leading tourist destination in Africa in recent years.

As a female Ambassador, I am also very interested in the role of women in Moroccan society. I am very impressed by the achievements in gender equality and women's empowerment here. Women play an increasingly important role in Morocco's political, economic and social life, with the proportion of women in the House of Representatives and in leadership positions in the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs being 24.3% and 40% respectively.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to His Majesty the King, the Government and the people of Morocco for their special affection for Vietnam. We pledge to continue our efforts to further develop the bilateral relationship.

Thank you very much Ambassador!

“The visit demonstrates the determination to further strengthen and expand the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Morocco, especially between the legislative bodies of the two countries, creating a strong driving force for the development of cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, tourism, education and training, serving the practical interests of the people of the two countries.” (Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Le Kim Quy)

Some famous traditional dishes of Morocco. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-le-kim-quy-chuyen-tham-cua-chu-tich-quoc-hoi-tran-thanh-man-tao-dong-luc-manh-me-cho-quan-he-viet-nam-morocco-trong-giai-doan-moi-322001.html