Senegal wishes to promote multi-field cooperation with Vietnam, from parliament, trade to digital transformation

On the occasion of the official visit of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Samba Dang, 7th Vice President of the Senegalese National Assembly, gave an interview to a VNA reporter in Africa about the significance of the visit, prospects for bilateral relations, as well as the role of the two countries as a regional bridge in promoting South-South cooperation.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man . Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Here is the content of the interview:

Mr. Vice President, the official visit of Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man is considered an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries. How do you assess the significance of this visit for bilateral cooperation, especially between the two legislative bodies of Vietnam and Senegal?

First of all, on behalf of the President of the Senegalese National Assembly and as a representative of the people in the legislature, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Vietnam News Agency for giving me the opportunity to share about the close and fruitful relationship between our two close countries.

Senegal and Vietnam have deep historical and cultural ties – built on common struggles, a spirit of sharing, friendship and solidarity. Our two countries share a colonial legacy, use the French language and are both members of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), of which Senegal is a founding member. In particular, the relationship between the two countries is also bound by blood ties: a number of Senegalese people have Vietnamese roots, reflecting the human and fraternal element in bilateral relations. It is also worth emphasizing the increasingly clear presence of the traditional Vietnamese martial art – Viet Vo Dao – in Senegal’s sporting life.

Economically, the two countries have strengthened cooperation, especially in the field of trade. In 2023 alone, bilateral trade turnover between Senegal and Vietnam increased by 52.4% compared to 2022. This positive trend clearly reflects the increasing level of engagement in economic relations and the aspiration of both countries to shift the strategic direction of bilateral relations – towards common prosperity for the people of both countries.

In terms of diplomacy, this visit is of special significance in reshaping bilateral relations. In the international arena, in addition to the OIF, both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 – showing similarities in diplomatic stances. Returning to this important visit by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Mr. Tran Thanh Man – the visit bears the mark of parliamentary diplomacy. The two countries’ parliaments are the bridge between the people of the two nations. Strengthening relations between the two legislative bodies is the foundation for a regular and systematic dialogue between the two countries. We particularly welcome the initiative to establish the Vietnam – Senegal Parliamentary Friendship Group, contributing to promoting bilateral cooperation through delegation exchanges, maintaining high-level contacts, sharing legislative experiences and coordinating at multilateral forums.

In the context that both Senegal and Vietnam are having many positive developments in politics and economy, in your opinion, what are the potential areas of cooperation that the two sides can further promote in the coming time, such as trade, agriculture, education or digital transformation?

The strategic importance of cooperation between the two countries can be seen first of all through the development of bilateral trade. In the first 4 months of 2025, Vietnam's export turnover to Senegal reached 43.43 million USD - almost equal to the whole year of 2024 with 43.91 million USD. In addition, Senegal depends on Vietnam to meet 10% of its rice consumption demand - an item that accounts for nearly 60% of Vietnam's total export turnover to Senegal. In contrast, Senegal mainly exports raw cashews (accounting for 87% of total export turnover to Vietnam), fishmeal, seafood and nuts. These figures are typical evidence of a typical South-South cooperation model, based on the foundation of common prosperity.

Senegal’s current priority areas for cooperation are linked to the national development strategy “Vision Senegal 2050”. Our country is building a competitive economy with four pillars of growth: mining industry (oil and gas, petrochemicals, phosphates, construction materials, iron and metallurgy), agricultural processing industry (peanuts and oil, livestock products, seafood, salt, fruits and vegetables), manufacturing industry (pharmaceuticals, leather and footwear, textiles, assembly, recycling) and value-added services (digital technology, tourism, cultural and creative industries). These are all areas in which we wish to promote cooperation with Vietnam.

In the field of digitalization, Senegal is implementing the “New deal technologique” strategy with the aim of transforming Senegal into a regional digital hub, based on four pillars: digital sovereignty (infrastructure, technology, human resources, safety and resilience), digitalization of public services, development of the digital economy and affirming its leadership role in Africa – becoming a land for national digital technology enterprises to develop and attract foreign investment. Therefore, a bilateral meeting between the two Ministers in charge of technology is something we highly appreciate to promote cooperation in the digital field.

Cooperation in agricultural research with Vietnam is of strategic importance to Senegal. We are actively building a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem, especially in agriculture (soil quality, fertilizers, farming techniques, etc.) to increase productivity, improve output and move towards food self-sufficiency. Therefore, we very much welcome the scientific cooperation project between the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) and the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA).

Senegal places great importance on education and human resource training. It should be emphasized that Senegal’s population is very young, with 75% under 35 years old, 41% under 14 years old and a median age of 19 years old. Therefore, training people – the most valuable asset – is a pillar of the vision of building a sovereign, equitable and prosperous Senegal. Therefore, developing cooperation in the field of education and vocational training with Vietnam is among our priorities.

In addition, I would also like to emphasize our new development model: Senegal is moving towards a model of sustainable and competitive territorial development. Therefore, we welcome the twinning project between the city of Ziguinchor (the southernmost) and the city of Can Tho in Vietnam.

In light of all these strategic priorities, Senegal appreciates the signing of memoranda of understanding between the ministries and agencies of the two countries in the fields of agriculture, trade and transport. As a member of parliament, I particularly welcome the draft agreement between the two National Assemblies, which will contribute to facilitating investment while maintaining a sustainable dialogue between the two peoples.

Senegal is an important gateway to the West African market, while Vietnam plays an active role in the ASEAN Community. Do you think the two countries can enhance each other's regional connectivity role, thereby contributing to promoting South-South cooperation in a more practical and effective way?

Senegal is well aware of the importance of ASEAN – a dynamic economic community with a market of over 650 million people and strong growth potential. The active role of Vietnam – the most dynamic economy in ASEAN – makes Vietnam a strategic partner for Senegal in accessing the Asian market and attracting investment from this bloc into our economy.

For its part, Senegal is a diplomatic and economic center of West Africa. Thanks to its strategic geographical location, Senegal is one of the few countries with a gateway to three continents: America, Europe and part of Asia – a great advantage in international cooperation.

Senegal – a country of hospitality – maintains friendly relations with most African countries and is known for its political stability, peace and social cohesion. These factors are important in creating a favorable investment environment – reinforced by reforms in the Customs Code, Tax Code and Investment Code.

These strengths are supported by a national pact called “Jub, Jubal, Jubbanti”, which promotes transparency and anti-corruption.

Finally, with its leading role in regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Senegal is a strategic gateway for Vietnam and ASEAN countries to access the West African market – which has a young population, abundant resources, great economic potential and is a center of future South-South cooperation.

Thank you very much!

Trung Khanh (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/senegal-mong-muon-day-manh-hop-tac-da-linh-vuc-voi-viet-nam-tu-nghi-vien-thuong-mai-den-chuyen-doi-so-20250721095748772.htm