Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and President of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly Adama Bictogo. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has expressed beliefthat the ongoing visit by President of Côted’Ivoire’s National Assembly Adama Bictogo from June 13-16 willcontribute to strengthening cooperation between the two countries and the twolegislatures in particular.
This is the highest-level delegation and Bictogo is the first President of the Côte d’Ivoire NA to visit Vietnam in 48 years, Hue said during their talks in Hanoi on June 14 rightafter an official welcome ceremony held for the guest.
Bictogo conveyed the regards of Côte d’Ivoire PresidentAlassane Ouattara to Hue and other high-ranking leaders of Vietnam.
Hesaid over the past decade, Côte d’Ivoire'sGDP has been growing by over 7% annually. To reduce its poverty rate to 16% by2030, the country is continuing with reform and opening its door for globalintegration.
Accordingto the leader, Côte d’Ivoire has become one of the top 10 growing economies inAfrica, with over 80% of its cashew nuts and 70% of cotton fiber exported toVietnam. The country has also imported 40% of its rice and 45% of other goods suchas machinery and motorcycles from Vietnam.
Theguest proposed the two legislatures play a driving role in further leveragingadvantages in various areas, including agriculture. Vietnamese businessescould set up cashew processing factories in Côte d’Ivoire, facilitate the training of Vietnamese experts to support Côte d’Ivoire in rice cultivation and mechanisationof water rice cultivation. Meanwhile, Côte d’Ivoire could import mechanical products from Vietnam, he said.
Bictogo called for Vietnam’s assistance in vocational training for Côte d’Ivoire young people, particularly in informationtechnology, mechanical engineering and electronics. He suggested both sides createfavourable conditions for businesspeople and citizens to conveniently travelbetween the two countries through direct flights.
Agreeing with Bictogo’s proposals, Hue affirmed that Vietnam is ready to act as a bridge for Côte d’Ivoire’s goods topenetrate the ASEAN and Asian markets, work closely with the African country toenhance the import of cashew nuts, cotton and cocoa, particularly by developingvalue chain cooperation in cashew cultivation, processing and export. Effortswill be made to strengthen trade promotion and investment, and connectionsbetween associations and enterprises via visits and exchanges.
Côted’Ivoire should expandthe imports of products of Vietnam’s strength such as seafood, fertilizers, apparel,footwear, household appliances, construction materials, electronics andmachinery, he said.
Vietnamis ready to offer all possible support for Côte d’Ivoire enterprises to do business in the country and vice versa, Hue said, adding that to achievethis, cooperation in the banking sector is needed.
Heurged Côted’Ivoire to promptlyrespond to the draft Memorandum of Understanding on economic and tradecooperation and designate responsible authorities for the bilateral tradeagreement with Vietnam. He also asked for active negotiations toward the signing of cooperation documents, thus creating a legal framework for economic, trade andinvestment activities.
Both sides should continue discussing to explorecooperation opportunities, the Vietnamese leader said, adding that as agriculture is a priority area via South-Southcooperation mechanism, they could coordinate to seek third-party support.
On this occasion, Hue thanked Côted’Ivoire for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community and recognisingthe activities of the Vietnamese Association living there.
The hostand guest agreed to establish legal frameworks that pave the way for new collaboration areas.
Hueproposed both sides facilitate exchanges between leaders, agencies and deputies ofthe two parliaments to share professional experience; monitor the effective implementationof international conventions and agreements signed by the two governments; support and boost connectivity and coordination between enterprises, as well asprovide all possible assistance for businesses and citizens to do businessstably in each nation.
Onregional and global issues of shared concern, he suggested Côte d’Ivoire support ASEAN and Vietnam'sstance on ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight inthe East Sea, as well as settling disputes through peaceful means in line withinternational law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea (UNCLOS).
Vietnamalways attaches importance to cooperation with Africa, he said, suggesting both sides continue working closely together within the International Organisation of LaFrancophonie (OIF) and other multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and theNon-Aligned Movement. The two legislatures should continue upholding closecoordination mechanisms at multilateral forums such as the Inter-ParliamentaryUnion (IPU) and the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF), Hue said.
The host took this occasion to invite the Côte d’Ivoire legislature to send a delegation to the ninth Global Conference of YoungParliamentarians which is hosted by the Vietnamese NA in Hanoi in September.
Bictogo also invited Hue to pay an official visit to Côte d’Ivoire soon and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.
The Vietnamese and Côte d'Ivoire NA leaders sign a MoU on cooperation between the two legislatures. (Photo: VNA) Following the talks, the two leaders signed a MoU on cooperationbetween the two NAs and met the press to inform the outcomes of their talks.
At the press conference, Bictogo said for Côte d'Ivoire, Vietnam is animportant partner and the "key" to enhancing its relations with ASEAN.Côte d'Ivoire is ready to serve as a bridge to help Vietnam strengthen itsrelations with the West African region in particular and Africa as a whole.
Both sides demonstrated their determinationto make every effort to make the two NAs one of the models for cooperationbetween the Vietnamese legislature and African countries, thus making positivecontributions to their friendly cooperation.
The same day, the Côte d'Ivoire delegation paid floral tribute tofallen combatants at the monument dedicated to heroic martyrs on Bac Son street of Hanoi and visited the Stilt House of Uncle Ho in the President HoChi Minh relic site.
Inthe evening, Hue is scheduled to host a banquet in honour of Bictogo andhis entourage./.
