Laying strategic foundations, opening up new development space in the Middle East

Photo caption — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam - South Africa Business Forum. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

On this occasion, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung gave an interview to the press on the results of the Prime Minister's working trip. VNA respectfully introduces the content of the interview:

Could you please tell us about the outstanding results of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Algeria and Kuwait and bilateral activities in South Africa, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Minister?

Following the vibrant high-level foreign affairs activities in 2025 with the Middle East - Africa region, the official visit to Kuwait, Algeria, attendance at the G20 Summit and bilateral activities in South Africa by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation ended successfully.

The working trip had a tight schedule with more than 50 rich and effective activities, from high-level meetings with the highest leaders of the State, Government, National Assembly, and Party of the three countries to meetings with large corporations and economic organizations, meaningful policy, cultural, sports, and historical speeches, and meetings with the Vietnamese community in the three countries. All three countries gave a very warm welcome to the Prime Minister and the Vietnamese delegation, demonstrating the importance of the current very good relationship, traditional relationship, and potential for cooperation between Vietnam and all three countries in the coming time.

Besides the Prime Minister's activities, ministries and branches also had very effective working sessions with partners in all three countries.

In terms of results, the visit contributed to laying a new foundation for strategic cooperation, diversifying partners, and expanding development space for businesses and localities. Vietnam and the three countries upgraded their relations to Strategic Partnership, making Kuwait, Algeria and South Africa the first three Strategic Partners of Vietnam among 70 Middle Eastern - African countries and making Vietnam a link in the network of priority Strategic Partnerships of the three countries. Vietnam and the three countries signed more than 10 cooperation agreements in various fields. Through the adoption of the joint statement establishing the Strategic Partnership and the signing of cooperation agreements as well as through the working exchanges of the Prime Minister, ministries, branches with leaders, partners and businesses of the three countries, we have had the conditions to consolidate the very good traditional relations with the three countries.

What was very touching was that all three countries welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation with great respect and warmth; the exchanges were substantive and cordial as between close friends and brothers: The King of Kuwait spent three times more time with the Prime Minister than usual, sharing words "from heart to heart", emphasizing "considering the interests of Vietnam as the interests of Kuwait", "caring for the people of Kuwait is the same as caring for the people of Vietnam". The President of Algeria is ready to cooperate "without limits, without barriers, without distance" with Vietnam; the Prime Minister of Algeria spent all his time from personally welcoming him at the airport to holding talks, entertaining him and chairing the activities arising from meetings with ministries and businesses of the two countries late at night to "finalize and immediately implement" the commitments just agreed upon; the people of Algeria welcomed the Prime Minister and the Vietnamese delegation. In South Africa - despite the G20 peak week gathering 63 delegations - the South African President received, held talks, signed documents and sent the Vice President to co-chair the Business Forum. These gestures demonstrate high political trust, creating momentum for a new cooperation journey with great expectations placed on Vietnam - "coloring the white area of the Middle East - Africa" with specific projects and value chains.

All three destinations are geo-strategic hubs of the rapidly changing Middle East and Africa, coinciding with the time when each country holds a special role and position in the region and internationally. South Africa is the G20 Chair in 2025, hosting the G20 Summit for the first time on African soil. Algeria is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term, a weighty voice in North Africa - Mediterranean; this is Africa's third largest economy. South Africa and Algeria have a tradition of solidarity with Vietnam. Kuwait is currently chairing many activities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2025, is the Gulf's gateway for finance, energy and connectivity with ASEAN and is the first country in the Gulf to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Through the visit, Vietnam has consolidated traditional relations, strengthened current areas of cooperation, and opened up new areas of cooperation, including areas that are very important to Vietnam and suitable to the potential of the countries, such as energy - petrochemicals, investment cooperation in production, processing of agricultural products, seafood, minerals; promoting FTAs, opening markets and participating more deeply in the supply chain of the GCC region and Africa; attracting abundant capital from the Gulf region; cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation; defense and security cooperation; opening direct flights, visa exemption, and people-to-people exchange.

Regarding the G20 Summit, this is the second consecutive year that Vietnam has been invited to attend the G20 Summit as a guest, even though it does not hold the rotating presidency of any multilateral forum. This demonstrates the country’s growing role and position and the international community’s appreciation of Vietnam’s contributions.

This G20 Summit took place in a very complicated international context, both in terms of politics, security and economy. This time, about 40 countries participated, all at high levels, including leaders of G20 member countries and invited countries, along with more than 20 international organizations. All countries emphasized the need to strengthen multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity. The participation of such high levels and many countries affirmed the role and support of countries for the G20 Summit, and the G20 countries also adopted a statement and a number of different cooperation mechanisms and measures. Along with that is the exchange and assessment of the political and economic situation, pointing out the issues that need to be prioritized, including issues that are closely related to Vietnam, such as how to achieve sustainable development, inclusive development in the current context, how to maintain trade, promote investment in the current situation, especially the issue that is very relevant to us, which is combating climate change and natural disasters. Therefore, the significance of this G20 Summit is very important. At the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh gave a speech on two major areas, which are strengthening international solidarity and sustainable development in the current context and a number of specific issues, including cooperation related to essential minerals, labor issues, and employment issues.

Our message is highly appreciated by countries because Vietnam is a country with many achievements in socio-economic development in recent times, has a comprehensive development path including sustainable development, employment and Vietnam is also highly appreciated by countries for its potential of essential minerals. Our delegation leader recommends that in the current context, countries must strengthen solidarity and cooperation and to have cooperation in the current period, it is necessary to consolidate existing mechanisms, reform measures and the very important requirement is to ensure peace, stability and ensure sustainable development.

On the occasion of the Conference, although in a very short time, the Prime Minister met and discussed with 30 leaders of countries and international organizations about the policies and current development situation of Vietnam, Vietnam's efforts and achievements in institutional improvement. Along with that, the Prime Minister made policy statements and discussed with leaders of countries and businesses in the three countries about Vietnam's achievements, development orientations and foreign policies, helping partners understand better and have confidence in promoting political, economic, trade and investment relations. We and our partners discussed very specifically about cooperation, including issues that Vietnam wants to promote and resolve. The areas of exchange are very comprehensive in agriculture, industry and also in new areas, such as innovation, science and technology, digital transformation and national defense and security, for the benefit of Vietnam and its partners as well as the interests of the regions and the world.

Therefore, by attending this conference, we are making a common contribution to a very important international event, in line with our foreign policy of being an active and responsible member of the international community. As stated in the draft Political Report of the 14th National Party Congress, we will proactively and positively contribute to solving common problems. Vietnam will also have more conditions to seek cooperation from multilateral institutions, including the G20 and international organizations.

We are also moved by the sentiments and sympathy of leaders of countries and international organizations with the Vietnamese people for the enormous losses of lives and property in storms and floods, as well as their readiness to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters. The Prime Minister and leaders of countries and international organizations share a clear understanding of cooperation, shared responsibility to combat climate change and joint efforts to overcome the serious consequences of natural disasters.

Minister, please tell us what Vietnam and other countries will do to implement the results of the visit?

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, as well as senior leaders of Vietnam, attach great importance to implementing agreements reached with international partners. The Prime Minister also always focuses on seizing opportunities, emphasizing that "what is said must be done, what is committed must be done, what is done must have results and specific products".

For these partners, what is very important in the coming time is to raise awareness, change awareness about promoting substantive relations with Middle Eastern and African countries despite differences and possibly more difficulties than the relations we have had for a long time with other partners. In the context of many complex difficulties, in order for us to be able to build a self-reliant economy, diversify partners, diversify markets, diversify supply sources, diversify investment sources, we must expand our partners, including the Middle East and Africa with great potential in terms of economy, science and technology, minerals, etc. The countries we visited all said that exchanges should have been made earlier and should have been promoted more.

Second, we need to coordinate with other countries to soon develop action programs and specific plans to implement the newly established Strategic Partnership framework.

Third, it is necessary to effectively promote the existing mechanisms between Vietnam and the three countries, at the same time promote new mechanisms and have new mechanisms if necessary. In all three countries, we have discussed the need to upgrade the current cooperation committee mechanisms from the deputy minister level to the minister level or have additional coordination mechanisms to promote cooperation between ministries, branches, localities and enterprises.

Fourth, the results of the visit need to be communicated to sectors, levels, localities and businesses, thereby proactively developing plans to implement and promote cooperation with partners within bilateral and multilateral frameworks. For example, with Kuwait, it is to promote relations with the Council of Gulf States (GCC), with Algeria and South Africa, it is to promote relations with free trade blocs in Southern Africa or relations with the African Union.

Fifth, with the G20 Summit, one of the highlights is that despite the current complexities and difficulties, countries realize that they still need to take advantage of multilateral institutions, still need to promote the role of multilateralism and countries, international organizations as well as put forward specific measures and mechanisms to do so. Thereby, we need to continue to persevere and have creative measures to take advantage of opportunities and conditions from multilateral mechanisms, including the G20.

We have the potential to not only take advantage of conditions but also contribute in accordance with the spirit of our foreign policy and development policy, including the spirit of the draft Political Report, the 14th National Party Congress and the spirit that General Secretary To Lam emphasized that we must actively participate in world political life, the international economy and human civilization, that is, we participate more proactively and actively in solving common problems and thereby take advantage of favorable conditions for national development from multilateral institutions.

Sincerely thank the Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs!

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/dat-nen-mong-chien-luoc-khai-mo-khong-giant-phat-trien-moi-tai-trung-dong-chau-phi-20251124143609394.htm