Pretoria (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Vu Hong Thanh met with Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, and held talks with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa Annelie Lotriet in Cape Town on July 16, as part of his official visit to South Africa from July 13 - 16.
During the meetings, Thanh congratulated South Africa on its significant achievements in national development, particularly in implementing the goals of the "National Development Plan 2030" to improve living standards and reduce poverty and inequality. He affirmed that Vietnam highly values its partnership for cooperation and development with the South Africa and considers the country one of its top partners in the region.
He took the occasion to deliver a letter from State President Luong Cuong inviting President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the signing ceremony of the United Nation Anti-cybercrime Convention, scheduled for October in Hanoi; and a letter from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanking Ramaphosa for inviting him to the G20 Summit in South Africa in 2025, and inviting South African leaders to visit Vietnam at a convenient time.
For their part, senior South African leaders highly valued Thanh’s trip, stressing that it not only opened a new direction for inter-parliamentary cooperation but also created momentum for the two countries to expand relations in key areas such as economy, trade, investment, defence, and security, for the benefit, development, and prosperity of both nations.
They expressed their admiration for Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements and showed their desire to deeply study Vietnam’s recent streamlining of the administration apparatus.
The two sides agreed to continue effectively implementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Partnership Forum, the Joint Trade Committee, and the Vietnam – South Africa Defence Policy Dialogue; enhancing exchanges and meetings at all levels; and making full use of the “partnership for cooperation and development” framework, and working toward a more substantive and deeper relationship in the future.
Regarding multilateral cooperation, the two sides agreed to maintain their tradition of coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums. Building on the strong bilateral relationship, Vietnam called on South Africa to consider supporting its candidacies to multilateral and international bodies, as well as backing Vietnam’s efforts to enhance cooperation and contribute to the common agendas of the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
For economic cooperation, they agreed to soon finalise a list of 50 potential export items to each other’s markets. They also pledged to boost tourism cooperation by simplifying visa procedures and make it easier for their businesses to invest in key sectors such as electric vehicles, mineral processing, electronic components, industrial machinery, oil and gas, renewable energy, software, and furniture.
Mtshweni-Tsipane noted that South African localities are ready to partner with Vietnamese counterparts. Meanwhile, Lotriet said as developing economies, Vietnam and South Africa can learn from each other in financial and economic management, particularly in emerging issues such as cybercrime prevention.
The two sides agreed to elevate parliamentary cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral ties by fostering high-level visits, committee-level exchanges, and engagement among lawmakers. They also committed to closer consultation and coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums, especially within the frameworks of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA); and agreed to negotiate and sign a Memorandum of Understanding on legislative cooperation.
They also agreed to jointly oversee the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments and to encourage relevant agencies to actively engage in dialogue and negotiation toward signing key foundational agreements, including a double taxation avoidance agreement, a visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders, a cooperation agreement on science, technology, and innovation; and a plan for implementing the MoU on higher education cooperation.
On July 14 in Johannesburg, Thanh held a working session with representatives of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), during which SACCI CEO Alan Mukoki-Hlongwane proposed establishing a business council comprising six to 12 representatives from each country, with a mechanism for regular meetings to discuss cooperation opportunities and shared goals.
Vice Chairman Thanh welcomed the initiative and said he will relay the proposal to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) for further discussion.
On the same day, Thanh also had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in South Africa./.
