Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue pays working visit to South Africa

Pretoria (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and a high-ranking Government delegation of Vietnam paid a working visit to South Africa from November 3-5, as part of their trip to Africa.

During the visit, Deputy PM Hue held talks with Deputy President of South Africa David Mabuza and a working session with Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC) Elias Sekgobelo Ace Magashule. He also attended a Vietnam-South Africa business and investment talk, visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met with representatives from the Vietnamese community in South Africa.

During meetings with South African officials, the Vietnamese Deputy PM informed the host on Vietnam’s socio-economic situation and affirmed the country’s interest in promoting cooperation with South Africa, the only African country that has a partnership for cooperation and development with Vietnam.

Deputy PM Hue proposed that the two countries quickly wrap up negotiations on legal documents for their early signing, creating a legal framework for their collaboration, especially in mining, agriculture and aviation. He also urged enhancing the role and efficiency of existing bilateral cooperative mechanisms such as the intergovernmental partnership forum, the joint trade committee and the defence dialogue.

He said Vietnam wants to expand ties with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU), as well as with their member countries. At the same time, Vietnam is willing to work as a bridge for South Africa to promote cooperation with ASEAN.

The Vietnamese Deputy PM asked the South African government to help address problems regarding payment method and consider allowing Vietnamese banks to open branches in the country, thus facilitating investment and business activities of Vietnamese firms in South Africa.   

The South African Deputy President agreed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors to do business in his country, and suggested promoting bilateral cooperation in defence-security, environmental protection and wildlife conservation.         

Meanwhile, the ANC Secretary General informed Hue that he will visit Vietnam in December to promote solidarity with the Vietnamese Party, exchange experience in party building work and encourage international integration.

The Vietnam-South Africa business and investment talk, jointly held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted around 120 local companies.

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Hue highlighted that trade between Vietnam and South Africa, at 1 billion USD, is still very modest compared to Vietnam’s foreign trade, which is estimated at 530 billion USD in 2019.   

Therefore, the two sides need to take measures to bolster bilateral trade, with their businesses playing the leading role, he said, adding that the two Governments should also help remove difficulties and quickly complete the legal framework for economic cooperation./.