South African President hopes for ties with Vietnam to grow
President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa expressed a wish to fortify ties with Vietnam while receiving the credentials of newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Van Loi on November 19.
Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi and his spouse pose for a photo with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (centre) (Photo: VNA)
Pretoria (VNA) - President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa expressed a wish tofortify ties with Vietnam while receiving the credentials of newly-appointedVietnamese Ambassador Hoang Van Loi on November 19.
Loi, inturn, said it was an honour to serve in South Africa, a land of potential that playsan increasingly important role in the region and the world.
He pledged todo his utmost to help enhance solidarity and friendship between the two peoples,the partnership for cooperation and development established in 2004 between thetwo countries, and ties between Africa and ASEAN.
He took theoccasion to convey the regard of Party General Secretary and State PresidentNguyen Phu Trong to the South African leader.
Talking tothe press after the ceremony, the ambassador said the two sides support eachother at international forums, particularly with both being non-permanentmembers of the UN Security Council in 2020.
The two haveso far established key cooperation mechanisms, such as an inter-governmentalpartner forum, a commercial joint committee, and a defence dialogue programme.
SouthAfrica is currently Vietnam’s largest importer in Africa. Despite COVID-19,trade between the two countries hit 1.22 billion USD in the first 10 months of2020, an increase of 22 percent year-on-year. The figure is expected to hit 1.4billion USD for the year as a whole./.
A delegation from the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU), led by Vice President Tran Thi Huong, had a working session with the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League as part of its visit to South Africa from August 13-14.
Vietnam and South Africa agreed to maintain the defence policy dialogue which they consider as a strategic mechanism to promote the bilateral defence partnership and the two countries’ friendship and cooperation.
The Vietnam – South African joint trade sub-committee convened the fourth session in Hanoi on October 16 to seek ways to bolster bilateral economic and trade partnerships.
Vietnam is willing to share with South Africa its research and production of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 test kit so that the two nations could together overcome the pandemic that are plaguing 213 countries around the globe, said a Vietnamese official at a virtual discussion which gathered leaders and experts of the two nations’ military medical corps.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi and his spouse pose for a photo with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (centre) (Photo: VNA) 
