Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South African President announced upgrading bilateral relations.

On November 21, in Johannesburg city, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Implementing the commitment during the South African President's visit to Vietnam (last October), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Ciryl Ramaphosa announced the upgrading of Vietnam - South Africa relations to a Strategic Partnership - a historic milestone bringing bilateral relations into depth, substance, effectiveness, on the basis of trust.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recalled his deep impressions of the beautiful country and people of Vietnam, which are developing strongly. Photo: Nhat Bac

The two leaders agreed to assign the two countries' competent agencies to promptly develop an action plan to implement the newly established relationship framework, concretizing the content of the joint statement to create a breakthrough and turn the Vietnam-South Africa relationship into a model of cooperation between southern countries.

The two sides also affirmed their commitment to further promote economic , trade and investment cooperation, considering this the focus of cooperation between the two countries; to soon negotiate an agreement and immediately establish a working group on promoting market opening for goods and products of each side. The two countries strive to soon increase bilateral trade turnover to 4-5 billion USD in the next 2 to 3 years.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that South Africa promote the early official launch of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), creating the most favorable conditions for businesses of the two countries to expand cooperation and investment, especially in infrastructure, green economy, digital economy, telecommunications, agricultural production and processing, energy, electric vehicle production, and Halal industry development...

The Prime Minister also proposed promoting defense and security cooperation; stepping up cooperation in new fields such as science and technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence; creating conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in 5G and digital transformation projects in South Africa...

The two leaders also agreed to continue negotiations and soon sign more cooperation documents, creating a legal and institutional framework for bilateral relations such as agreements on double taxation avoidance, visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, and cooperation in crime prevention.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed that the two countries will coordinate closely and support each other more at multilateral forums. Photo: Nhat Bac

President Cyril Ramaphosa highly appreciated and supported Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's proposals, especially emphasizing support for Vietnam's practical, effective approach and spirit of urgent action.

The President pledged to direct South African authorities to closely coordinate with Vietnamese partners to soon realize the contents agreed upon by both sides.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that Vietnam and South Africa have always stood together in the struggle for national independence and human rights. Today, the two countries will stand together in national construction and development in the spirit of trust and comradeship.

Vietnam can help ensure food security for South Africa.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also received Vice President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Neil Pollock today.

The Prime Minister asked the business community to contribute to promoting the relationship between the two countries in the spirit of a creative State, pioneering enterprises, public-private partnership, national development, and people's prosperity and happiness.

South Africa is Vietnam's largest trading partner and export market in Africa. Total bilateral trade turnover in 2024 is expected to reach 1.72 billion USD.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vice President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Neil Pollock. Photo: Nhat Bac

The Prime Minister invited leaders of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and businesses to visit Vietnam soon. The Prime Minister also encouraged and called on South African businesses to invest in Vietnam, and Vietnam also encouraged businesses to invest in South Africa.

The Prime Minister said that Vietnam has 17 FTAs ​​with more than 60 leading economies in the world. At the same time, Vietnam has agricultural strengths, such as having a type of rice that has won the world's best rice award three times. Vietnamese enterprises can invest in South Africa and export on the spot, thereby supporting food security for South Africa and exploiting the African market of more than 1 billion people.

Vice President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Neil Pollock said that Vietnam has strengths in agricultural products, especially Vietnamese rice, which is "the best in the world" while South Africa is using more and more rice. The two countries also have great potential to promote tourism, and if you want to understand Asian culture, you have to come to Vietnam.

He affirmed that South Africa can learn many lessons from Vietnam and South African businesses can also learn from Vietnamese businesses.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-va-tong-thong-nam-phi-tuyen-bo-nang-cap-quan-he-2-nuoc-2465221.html