Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, accompanied by his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, has freshly concluded his trip for official visits to Senegal and Morocco, along with participation in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and bilateral activities in Switzerland, achieving all objectives, and leaving a strong and positive impression across various spheres, said Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang.
Speaking to the press on the trip’s outcomes, Giang said that during the official visits to Senegal and Morocco, the Vietnamese delegation was warmly welcomed with exceptional hospitality which, as he noted, surpassed normal diplomatic protocols, showing the high regard these countries have for Vietnam and its NA. The countries also expressed deep respect for Vietnam’s struggle for independence as well as admiration for its development achievements.
Both Senegal and Morocco view their relations with Vietnam as a model in South – South and Asia – Africa cooperation, and voiced hope to expand all-round ties with Vietnam in the future.
With longstanding ties and historical similarities as a foundation, the visits opened a new chapter for Vietnam's relations with the two African countries, creating strong momentum for comprehensive and more substantive collaboration, particularly in trade, investment, agriculture, and telecommunications, Giang went on.
During high-level meetings, he said, Senegalese and Moroccan leaders noted they were impressed with Vietnam’s socio-economic progress and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening partnerships. They pledged mutual support at international and multilateral forums, including the United Nations, while emphasising their support for international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes, contributing to global peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in each region and the whole world.
The Deputy FM added that Senegal welcomed and pledged favourable conditions for Vietnamese technology and service businesses, and proposed that Vietnam consider establishing a diplomatic mission in Dakar. Meanwhile, Morocco supported launching negotiations on a new bilateral trade agreement and recommended the upgrade of bilateral ties, as well as a cooperation mechanism involving the two sides' parliaments, relevant ministries, and the business communities.
Notably, the parliamentary friendship groups between Vietnam and Senegal made debut on this occasion, and chaired by the Vice President of Senegal’s National Assembly and the Deputy Secretary of the Vietnamese NA’s Party Committee.
Economic cooperation forums held in both Senegal and Morocco drew robust participation from business communities. Eight cooperation agreements were signed during the visits, including the cooperation pacts with the two countries' parliaments, agricultural cooperation agreements, and several economic deals such as a rice trading contract for 100,000 tonnes annually between Vietnam and Senegal.
Giang said that in Switzerland, Chairman Man held productive talks with leaders of both chambers of the Swiss Federal Assembly. Both the Presidents of the National Council and the Council of States of Switzerland voiced their support for resuming negotiations on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, in 2025 so that bilateral trade will grow on par with the countries' strengths and potential.
The discussions also included sharing experiences in building laws, supervision, and making decisions on naitonal issues. Switzerland’s experience in fintech and global finance was identified as a valuable reference point for Vietnam as it shapes a legal framework to support sustainable digital development, he noted.
At a roundtable on international financial centre development, four cooperation deals were signed. These included memoranda of understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance and the Swiss Fintech Association and the Swiss–Viet Economic Forum, and agreements between Vietnamese banks and a Swiss trade data monitoring organisation.
A notable aspect of the trip was the delegation’s meetings with the Vietnamese communities in all the three countries. Giang emphasised that despite geographic distances—from West Africa to Europe—overseas Vietnamese remain united and deeply connected to their homeland. Meetings with the delegation helped strengthen the communities' understanding of the Party and State’s support for citizens abroad and reaffirmed the role of overseas Vietnamese as an integral part of the nation.
To effectively implement the visits’ outcomes, Vietnam intends to expand high-level and multi-channel cooperation with Senegal, Morocco, and Switzerland, while coordinating in organising activities to commemorate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Morocco and the 55th with Switzerland in 2026. Ministries, agencies, and localities have been tasked with implementing the signed agreements in a practical and results-oriented manner, according to the Deputy FM.
Commenting on Vietnam’s contributions to the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, he underscored the significance of Chairman Man's participation in the event, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – the world’s largest multilateral parliamentary forum. The NA leader’s presence at the conference demonstrated Vietnam as a responsible and active member of the IPU, along with its strong commitment to multilateralism, especially at a time when the United Nations and global multilateral mechanisms are facing numerous challenges.
Vietnam’s high-ranking delegation made a meaningful contribution to the success of the IPU’s most important conference in 2025. Delivering one of the first addresses, the top legislator presented a message that aligned with the conference’s theme – "A world in turmoil: Parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice, and prosperity for all".
The message underlined the irreplaceable role of multilateralism in building peace, promoting security, fostering sustainable development, and boosting innovation. It also highlighted the role of cooperation among parliaments, as representatives of the people’s voice, in upholding the rule of law, complying with international law, realising international commitments, building trust, stepping up dialogue, and seeking sustainable solutions to today’s global challenges.
Chairman Man’s address also called for prioritising the shared human values — peace, justice, equality, and sustainability — and urged all parliaments to place people at the centre of development, overcome differences, and work together for a better future. The message resonated strongly with other delegates and received broad support, said Giang.
During the conference, the Vietnamese delegation, including the NA Chairman and Vice Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister, and other members, held numerous bilateral meetings with parliamentary and UN leaders, thus helping to foster political trust and intensify Vietnam’s partnerships with other countries, particularly in the parliamentary sphere.
At these bilateral meetings, Vietnam shared its views on pressing international issues and suggested concrete directions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, and innovation. The Vietnamese leader also took the opportunity to call on parliaments of European Union member states to accelerate the ratification of the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and proposed the European Commission (EC) to soon lift the “yellow card” warning against IUU fishing.
International partners reportedly acknowledged the active and responsible role of the Vietnamese NA at multilateral forums and expressed their wish to continue to strengthen practical and effective cooperation with the country.
Activities of the NA Chairman and the delegation during the conference contributed to further elevating Vietnam’s international stature on the global stage, according to Deputy FM Giang./.
