Algiers (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Tran Quoc Khanh recently held working sessions with the Governor of Skikda province, the President of the Skikda Chamber of Commerce, and the Rector of the University of Skikda to promote multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Algeria, as well as between Vietnam’s Gia Lai province and Algeria’s Skikda province.
At the meeting with Governor Saïd Akhrouf, Khanh highlighted the strong foundation of traditional friendship between Vietnam and Algeria, noting that Gia Lai and Skikda possess complementary strengths in agriculture, food processing, human resource development and enterprise growth.
Providing an overview of Vietnam’s economic performance, the ambassador said the country recorded GDP growth of more than 8% in 2025 and is targeting around 10% this year. He also noted that Vietnam has signed 17 free trade agreements and established comprehensive strategic partnerships or strategic partnerships with numerous countries.
Akhrouf described Skikda as one of Algeria’s most important economic hubs, home to one of Africa’s largest petrochemical refining and energy complexes. The province is implementing an alkyl benzene production project and a hydrocracking project to produce cleaner, higher-quality fuels, while accelerating renewable energy development, particularly green hydrogen production for export to Europe.
In addition to its industrial strengths, Skikda boasts more than 14km of coastline, Algeria’s third-largest port system, numerous Roman-era historical sites and significant potential for coastal, eco- and cultural tourism, he said. The governor also expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnam in solar energy, workforce training, fisheries and agriculture.
Meeting with the President of the Skikda Chamber of Commerce Lakhchine Riad and representatives of local businesses, Ambassador Khanh stressed that strengthening direct links between enterprises in the two countries is the most important priority for reducing intermediary costs and creating new business opportunities.
He noted that Vietnam’s main exports to Algeria include coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, textiles and garments, steel and selected industrial products, while the North African country exports animal feed, chemicals, dates and other agricultural products to Vietnam.
The ambassador particularly highlighted Vietnam’s strength in producing and exporting Robusta coffee, noting that many Algerian companies have already imported Vietnamese coffee in large volumes and highly valued its quality and reliable supply. He emphasised that cooperation between Gia Lai and Skikda should focus not only on government-to-government ties but also on stronger engagement between the two business communities.
Representatives of Skikda-based companies expressed interest in establishing partnerships with Vietnamese counterparts across a range of sectors. Several construction firms praised the skills and professionalism of Vietnamese workers, while local information technology and start-up enterprises voiced interest in collaborating with Vietnamese companies on software development for travel agencies and transport applications serving rural areas.
During a separate meeting with the leadership of the University of Skikda, Ambassador Khanh expressed his desire to foster cooperation between higher education institutions in Vietnam and Algeria, particularly between the University of Skikda and universities in Gia Lai province.
He commended the university’s green learning environment, describing it as a strong foundation for future collaboration in training programmes, student exchanges and scientific research.
Introducing the university, Rector Boufendi Toufik said the institution is ready to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships with Vietnamese counterparts in human resource development, scientific research, innovation and technology transfer./.
