Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man will pay an official visit to Senegal from July 22–24, expected to open a new chapter in the two countries’ traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation.

The trip is the first leg of his working tour to Switzerland, Morocco, and Senegal until July 30 at the invitation of President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Tulia Ackson, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami, and Speaker of the Senegalese National Assembly El Malick Ndiaye.

The visit to Senegal marks the highest-level one between the two countries in over 55 years of diplomatic relations.

Traditional friendship

Vietnam and Senegal established diplomatic ties on December 29, 1969. The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria is currently also in charge of Senegal while the Senegalese Embassy in Malaysia covers Vietnam.

Despite the geographic distance, both countries have organised several high-level visits over the decades, including those by Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Nguyen Huu Tho (1973), Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh (1995), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Khanh (1996), and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo (2002). More recently, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with his Senegalese counterpart Ousmane Sonko during the 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, on June 25, 2025.

From the Senegalese side, visits include those by President Abdou Diouf and Foreign Minister Moustapha Niasse (1997), and most recently, First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Ismaela Diallo, who participated in the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly Executive Committee Meeting in Vietnam in January 2025.

Talking to his Senegalese counterpart Ousmane Sonko in Tianjin, PM Chinh affirmed Vietnam – Senegal traditional friendship and good cooperation. He emphasised Vietnam’s readiness to share agricultural development expertise and support Senegal’s food security goals through innovative approaches.

He also called on Senegal to serve as a bridge for Vietnam to strengthen ties with African countries and members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as to continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens and those of Vietnamese origin to live and work in Senegal.

For his part, PM Sonko expressed strong appreciation for bilateral ties and welcomed deeper cooperation in trade, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges. He invited Vietnam to expand its investment in the 400-million-consumer West African market and pledged to support Vietnam’s engagement with the African Union and ECOWAS.

Both sides agreed to increase high-level exchanges, facilitate trade and investment, boost market access for each other’s strong products, and enhance agricultural cooperation.

Multilaterally, the two countries have strengthened cooperation within the framework of international organisations of which both are members such as the United Nations, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and the IPU. Recently, Senegal has actively supported Vietnam's nomination of the Yen Tu – Con Son Kiep Bac complex to become a World Cultural Heritage at the 47th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). This is considered a vivid demonstration of the countries' effective coordination in the international arena and is also a focal cooperation aspect for the coming time.

Stronger economic momentum

Vietnam – Senegal trade relations have seen steady growth. Bilateral trade turnover rose from 70.6 million USD in 2022 to 134.3 million USD in 2023, before falling to 81.16 million USD in 2024. In the first four months of 2025, Vietnam’s exports to Senegal hit 43.3 million USD, equivalent to the export turnover in the whole 2024.

Vietnam primarily exports pepper, textiles – garments, and vegetables to Senegal while importing cashew nuts and animal feed from the latter.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria and Senegal Tran Quoc Khanh said that as an active member of ASEAN – a vibrant region posting impressive economic growth and drawing increasing global attention, Vietnam could act as a gateway for Senegal to enter the Southeast Asian market. Conversely, Senegal, a founding member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union and a pioneer in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), can help Vietnamese goods and services access the African market of over one billion people.

The Vietnamese community in Senegal comprises about 3,000 people who have maintained close ties with the homeland and contributed to bilateral ties.

Interestingly, Vietnam’s cultural influence in Senegal extends beyond traditional diplomacy. The Vietnamese martial art Vovinam has gained significant popularity in the country, with over 3,000 practitioners and a national association under the World Vovinam Federation. Senegal now ranks second only to Algeria in the number of Vovinam practitioners across Africa.

Though not ethnically Vietnamese, many Senegalese Vovinam athletes have come to embrace Vietnamese cultural and ethical values. They play an important role in spreading Vietnam’s image to local people.

Historic visit to expand cooperation across sectors

According to Ambassador Khanh, the NA Chairman’s upcoming visit holds historic significance. It comes as both countries undergo major political and institutional transitions. Senegal recently held presidential and parliamentary elections, while Vietnam has implemented a nationwide shift to a two-tier local government system as of July 1, 2025.

Khanh said both countries have shown their special interest and clear determination in promoting bilateral relations to a new height. Therefore, the visit will not only deepen legislative ties but also serve as a catalyst to advance cooperation in various areas, including trade, agriculture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

In particular, sports and cultural cooperation are expected to receive renewed attention. Khanh noted that Senegal’s Vovinam movement is a powerful bridge for bilateral ties, rooted in the two nations’ shared respect for martial arts and youthful dynamism – key ingredients for sustainable cooperation in the future.

At a meeting with Senegalese Ambassador Abdoulaye Barro on July 18, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang expressed strong confidence that the visi🐼t will yield practical results, especially in trade, investment, agriculture, innovation, and sustainable development. It will lay the groundwork for more comprehensive and effective bilateral ties in the years ahead as well as contribute to peace, stability and development in the two regions and the world./.