Contribute to shaping the future, new vision for the Middle East

Photo caption — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. Photo: VNA

Could you please tell us the meaning and purpose of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 's working trip to attend the G20 Summit and bilateral activities in South Africa, and official visits to Algeria and Kuwait?

At the invitation of His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Excellency Sifi Ghrieb, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Algeria, and President of the Republic of South Africa, G20 Chair 2025, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay official visits to Kuwait and Algeria, attend the G20 Summit and hold bilateral activities in South Africa from November 16 to 24, 2025.

Following the vibrant high-level foreign affairs activities of the Party and State leaders in recent times, the Prime Minister's working trip has extremely important meanings on both bilateral and multilateral levels, thereby continuing to effectively, synchronously and consistently implement our foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations.

South Africa is Africa's largest economy, currently holding the G20 Presidency in 2025 and is a key member of the BRICS group. Algeria is one of the countries with the deepest relations with Vietnam in the region, and is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term. Kuwait assumes the role of Chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2025.

Bilaterally, Vietnam has good friendly and cooperative relations with Kuwait, Algeria and South Africa; currently, the relationship between Vietnam and the three countries is on the path of increasingly effective and substantial development; Vietnam and all three countries are in a new "position" on their development path. Middle Eastern and African countries consider Vietnam a model of success in innovation and development, a model of increasingly positive and responsible contributions to the international community. This is an important basis for increasing political trust and the sharing of common values between Vietnam and countries in the Middle Eastern and African region.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister's working trip carries an important message about Vietnam's great importance in developing relations with partners as well as with the region, promising to open a new phase of cooperation, more strategic, deeper and more substantial. The working trip is also an opportunity for Vietnam to promote connections with three strategic destinations in the region, thereby not only elevating and deepening the relationship between Vietnam and the three countries but also contributing to shaping the future and new vision between Vietnam and the Middle East - Africa region in the spirit of trust, sustainability, and together towards a prosperous future.

On the multilateral level, this is the second consecutive year that Vietnam has been invited to attend the Summit of the Group of 20 leading economies in the world. This is a strong affirmation of Vietnam's prestige, position and increasingly high role, the recognition and appreciation of partners, especially the G20, for Vietnam's development achievements and substantial contributions and responsibilities in common world issues. Attending this Conference is an opportunity for Vietnam to continue affirming its consistent foreign policy as a reliable partner of the international community, ready to join hands to solve global issues in the spirit of respect and mutual understanding, contributing to the common development of humanity.

Based on the needs and practical experience of a developing, transitioning, high-growth, independent, self-reliant and deeply internationally integrated economy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will share, evaluate and make important recommendations to work with other countries to build an international economic order and a fair, inclusive and sustainable global economic governance system. Within the framework of the Conference, the Prime Minister will have many bilateral meetings with leaders of countries and international organizations to promote cooperation in strategic areas for Vietnam such as: Green transformation, digital transformation, innovation, strategic infrastructure development, high-quality human resource development, etc., thereby maximizing international resources to serve the country's development goals.

According to the Deputy Minister, what specific areas of cooperation does Vietnam wish to promote with South Africa, Algeria and Kuwait? And what initiatives and contributions will Vietnam have when attending the G20 Summit?

First of all, it is necessary to affirm that on the basis of traditional friendship and solid political trust, with the orientation from the important strategic resolutions of the Politburo, the relationship between Vietnam and South Africa, Algeria and Kuwait is developing positively in many fields, achieving many substantive and comprehensive results. We all know that South Africa is Vietnam's first Partner for Cooperation and Development in Africa; Kuwait is the first country in the GCC to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam since 1976; Algeria is a traditional partner, a loyal friend of Vietnam throughout 65 years of establishing diplomatic relations, always enthusiastically helping and supporting Vietnam in the process of rebuilding and building the country.

In terms of politics, Vietnam and other countries have built a foundation for relations and created solid political trust, creating a foundation for bilateral development in the coming time. Cooperation in multilateral forums on international and regional issues of mutual concern has always been consolidated and strengthened. In terms of economics, trade and investment, South Africa, Kuwait and Algeria are major and potential trade partners of Vietnam in the Middle East - Africa. Specifically, South Africa is Vietnam's largest trade partner in Africa; Kuwait is Vietnam's leading trade partner in the Middle East, an ODA partner, an important energy partner; Algeria is a major potential partner with an effective investment model being the Bir Seba oil and gas project of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Corporation (PVEP) in Algeria. Cooperation in other areas such as: Defense, security, agriculture, biodiversity conservation... is achieving remarkable achievements.

On the basis of good political and diplomatic relations, we firmly believe that the Prime Minister's visit will bring Vietnam's relations with other countries to a new height, achieving specific and practical cooperation results in the fields of trade, investment, industry, minerals, logistics, green supply chain and innovation with South Africa; expanding cooperation in energy, investment, trade, processing industry, smart agriculture, education and training with Algeria and with Kuwait, and promoting connectivity in the fields of finance, trade, investment, energy, green infrastructure, food security, ODA and Halal industry. We wish to establish priority corridors for the smooth flow of capital, technology, goods and human resources, opening up new cooperation opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises in key areas. Along with that, we will also promote people-to-people exchange, cultural, educational, labor and tourism cooperation, and promote the connection between the Vietnamese community in the three countries with the host country as well as with the homeland, making practical contributions to bilateral relations.

At the G20 Summit, as a Guest of the G20 South African Presidency, the Prime Minister will share policy messages, focusing on a number of key key contents to contribute to efforts to promote world economic growth, minimize risks, and promote cooperation in strategic areas such as minerals, energy, and reform of the global trade, finance, and investment systems in the current period of reshaping and building global rules and regulations.

Through those specific messages, initiatives and proposals, the international community will have a clearer view of Vietnam, a country determined to innovate to enter an era of development; has been, is and will continue to be a reliable partner, increasingly proactive, positive, responsible and making every effort for peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development for humanity.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/gop-phan-dinh-hinh-tuong-lai-tam-nhin-moi-voi-khu-vuc-trung-dong-chau-phi-20251115100601134.htm