Vietnam wishes to develop more substantive and effective relations with the Arab League.

Photo caption — *President Luong Cuong with Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA*

AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his great pleasure and honor in welcoming President Luong Cuong and the high-level Vietnamese delegation on their first visit to the Federation's headquarters and respectfully invited the President to witness the raising of the Vietnamese flag.

Immediately after the flag-raising ceremony, President Luong Cuong met with Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and other leaders of the Federation.

During the meeting, Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his gratitude and emphasized the historical significance of the first visit to the AL headquarters by the President of Vietnam, demonstrating Vietnam's respect for the federation as well as the long-standing historical ties between the Vietnamese and Arab peoples. The Secretary-General stressed that Arab nations are eagerly awaiting President Luong Cuong's important policy speech at the Federation on this occasion.

The AL Secretary-General shared that, since the 1950s, the people of Egypt and Arab countries, including the Secretary-General himself, have always followed the great struggle for national independence of the Vietnamese people, considering it a model for Egypt and Arab countries to emulate in their own national struggles.

Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stated that the Vietnamese people's struggle is not only a highlight in Vietnamese history but also a source of pride for all nations around the world ; emphasizing that Vietnam can be proud of its history of national liberation struggle and even more proud of its remarkable achievements in recent times; and affirming that "no words can fully express the admiration for President Ho Chi Minh, who spared no effort to find a path for the Vietnamese nation."

President Luong Cuong expressed his pleasure at visiting the AL headquarters for the first time, and thanked the Secretary-General for the warm, respectful, and thoughtful welcome extended to the high-level Vietnamese delegation.

President Luong Cuong highly appreciated the role and positive contributions of the League in maintaining peace, stability and development in the Middle East - Africa region as well as in the world; and expressed confidence that AL will continue to achieve even more successes in building a united, prosperous and developed community in all fields.

Expressing sincere gratitude for the profound and heartfelt sentiments that the Secretary-General and the people of the Arab countries have shown towards President Ho Chi Minh, as well as towards the country and people of Vietnam, President Luong Cuong affirmed that Vietnam wishes to further develop good, substantive, and effective relations with the Arab League and all its members, the majority of whom are traditional friends and important economic partners of Vietnam.

To build upon the foundation of good relations, President Luong Cuong proposed that Vietnam and the AL member states further strengthen political and diplomatic relations, continuously consolidate the close ties, affection, and trust between Vietnam and the member states of the League; both sides should actively implement the signed cooperation programs, especially the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the AL Secretariat.

President Luong Cuong also suggested that Vietnam and the AL member states strengthen consultations, coordinate closely, and support each other in multilateral mechanisms, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Agreeing with the Secretary-General's proposal to promote cooperation between the Arab League and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the President affirmed Vietnam's readiness to act as a bridge connecting the Arab League with the ASEAN region.

Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit emphasized that the AL and its member states value comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, and thanked Vietnam for its balanced stance, consistent with international law and the UN Charter, on international issues, including supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people.

The Secretary-General affirmed that, to the best of his ability, he would strive to promote relations between Vietnam and the Federation and further deepen relations between Vietnam and the 22 member countries of the Federation.

Source: https://vpctn.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/hoat-dong-cua-chu-tich-nuoc/viet-nam-mong-muan-phat-trien-quan-he-thuc-chat-hieu-qua-hon-nua-voi-lien-doan-arap.html