Madagascar admires Vietnam's strong development

In the capital city of Antananarivo, Republic of Madagascar, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique and Madagascar Pham Hoang Kim presented his credentials to President Andry Rajoelina. The ceremony took place solemnly on the morning of May 17 at the Presidential Palace with the participation of senior officials of the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar.

Photo caption — Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique and Madagascar Pham Hoang Kim presents his credentials to President Andry Rajoelina. Photo: Hoang Minh/VNA

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Africa, at the cordial reception after the Letter of Credentials Presentation Ceremony, President Andry Rajoelina sent his best wishes to the senior leaders of Vietnam, affirming that Madagascar always attaches importance to and wishes to promote friendly cooperation with Vietnam in all fields, especially agriculture , health, education, industry and technology. Appreciating the friendly, traditional and long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries, President Andry Rajoelina hopes that Vietnam will share experience and technology in areas where Vietnam has strengths, as well as increase investment in Madagascar. The President emphasized that after more than 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations (1972-2023), these will be positive steps to promote bilateral cooperation in depth in the coming time.

On this occasion, from May 17-19, Ambassador Pham Hoang Kim had meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Industrial Development, Trade and Consumer Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, the Mayor of Antananarivo, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madagascar, and the Vietnamese community of Madagascar. During the meetings, the Madagascar side expressed their good impressions of the country and people of Vietnam, admired the strong development of Vietnam, and agreed that the two countries should promote and increase delegation exchanges to promote bilateral relations. The two sides pledged to step up the implementation of specific measures to further promote cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and tourism, including studying the possibility of signing a visa exemption agreement for citizens of the two countries holding diplomatic and official passports, reopening the Vietnamese Honorary Consulate in Madagascar, enhancing exchanges and establishing information channels on import and export, organizing trade fairs, and promoting the exchange of trade promotion delegations. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Madagascar said it would soon send the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on enhancing cooperation and development in the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Antananarivo will also send a draft MOU on cooperation and twinning between Hanoi and Antananarivo for the Vietnamese side to consider and sign in the near future.

On this occasion, Ambassador Pham Hoang Kim also met and visited representatives of the Vietnamese Malagasy community living and working in the locality. The Ambassador informed them about the socio-economic development situation in the country, disseminated policies related to overseas Vietnamese, and encouraged them to unite, help each other, and always look towards their homeland and country. On the occasion of the 133rd anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2023) and the 112th anniversary of his departure to find a way to save the country (June 5, 1911 - June 5, 2023), Ambassador Pham Hoang Kim and representatives of the Vietnamese Malagasy community offered incense to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh at Ho Chi Minh Square in the capital city of Antananarivo. Ho Chi Minh Square, where the statue of Uncle Ho is located, with a stone stele engraved with the words "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" in three languages: Vietnamese, French and local languages, built in 2003 and restored in 2014, is one of the few places named after Ho Chi Minh in Africa, expressing the affection of the people of the continent for President Ho. On his journey to find a way to save the country, he also went to Madagascar on the ship Admiral Latouche Tréville in 1911. Witnessing the people of Madagascar, like the people of Vietnam, suffering under colonialism, he discovered the truth: "Regardless of skin color, there are only two types of people in this world: those who exploit and those who are exploited." Later, in Paris (France) in the 1920s, he also worked side by side with Madagascar's revolutionary predecessors - Jean Ralaimongo and Samuel Stephanie - to organize and lead the Colonial Union, publish the newspaper "The Miserable," and propagate revolution in the colonies...

Hoang Minh - Hong Minh (Vietnam News Agency)