Soon upgrade Vietnam - South Africa relations

On the afternoon of October 23, after a solemn welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Luong Cuong affirmed that Vietnam and South Africa have a close historical relationship based on common ideals and the spirit of Asia-Africa solidarity. Vietnam always attaches importance to the traditional friendship with South Africa, the first African partner with which Vietnam established a Partnership for Cooperation and Development (2004).

President Luong Cuong and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

President Luong Cuong assessed that the relationship between the two countries has achieved important achievements: political trust has been strengthened through all channels: Party, State, Parliament; economic cooperation has developed, making South Africa Vietnam 's leading trade partner in Africa; the two sides regularly coordinate closely at multilateral forums.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appreciated Vietnam's hosting of the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime and welcomed Vietnam 's leading role in digital transformation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed that the visit aims to affirm South Africa's determination to strengthen and develop the important partnership with Vietnam , in the strategy of increasing market expansion in the context of many profound changes taking place.

President Luong Cuong and President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed on the direction and strive to soon upgrade the bilateral relations framework to a Strategic Partnership in 2025, aiming to create a strong impetus for the two countries' relations to develop deeply, for the benefit of the two peoples and for peace and development in the region and the world.

The two leaders agreed to deepen political trust through increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level ones, through Party, State, and National Assembly channels as well as between ministries, branches, localities, and businesses.

The two sides will effectively deploy existing mechanisms and soon organize the next meetings of the Vietnam -South Africa Intergovernmental Partnership Forum, Political Consultation between the two Foreign Ministries, the Joint Trade Committee and the Defense Policy Dialogue.

In terms of economy, the two sides agreed to promote trade and investment cooperation as the central driving force, commensurate with the scale and demand of the market, ensuring a balance of interests. The two leaders proposed that the two countries open their markets for strong goods and businesses to penetrate each other's markets and the regional market.

The two sides agreed to continue promoting cooperation in important and potential areas; coordinate the organization of people-to-people exchanges, cultural, sports and tourism exchanges to enhance mutual understanding. The two sides will also complete the legal framework, especially the fundamental documents such as agreements on judicial assistance, mineral exploitation, double taxation avoidance, visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, etc.

Overview of the meeting

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

Discussing regional and international issues, the two sides affirmed to continue to closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums; agreed to promote the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, without using force or threatening to use force, on the basis of respect for international law and the United Nations Charter. President Cyril Ramaphosa affirmed that South Africa is ready to support Vietnam 's candidacy at United Nations organizations.

Vietnam asked South Africa to support the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam on the East Sea issue to ensure peace, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation, and to resolve disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

There is still a lot of room and potential to promote cooperation between the two countries.

On the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Prime Minister affirmed that the two countries have always been good friends and good partners, always supporting and helping each other, and was pleased that both countries now have increasing roles and positions in the international arena.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

The Prime Minister said that the two countries have strengths that can complement each other for mutual development, and the room and potential to promote cooperation between the two countries is still very large, continuing to expand cooperation into the fields of green transformation, digital transformation, creative economy, renewable energy, communications, and climate change response.

The Prime Minister asked South Africa to support Vietnam in soon starting negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

The South African President hopes that the two sides will strengthen business connections in the fields of mining, manufacturing, agriculture, electric cars, high-quality human resource training, and maritime...

President Ramaphosa thanked Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for accepting the invitation to attend the G20 Summit, demonstrating Vietnam 's responsible contribution to promoting sustainable development and reforming global governance mechanisms.

Identifying economic, trade and investment cooperation as the focus of bilateral cooperation in the coming time, the two sides agreed to promote market opening for each side's goods and products and actively negotiate and soon sign more important cooperation documents to facilitate further increase in trade turnover and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visit a photo exhibition on cooperation between the two countries.

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

The two leaders agreed to soon complete internal procedures to upgrade the bilateral relationship framework to a Strategic Partnership in 2025, making the Vietnam -South Africa relationship a model of cooperation between southern countries.

During the visit, the South African President and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will attend the two countries' business forum co-organized by the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry and the South African Embassy in Vietnam .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/som-nang-cap-quan-he-viet-nam-nam-phi-18525102322123187.htm