Vietnamese and South African government officials met in Pretoria on August 16 and 17 for the second meeting of the Inter-governmental Partnership Forum. Deputy Foreign Minister Lê Lương Minh led the Vietnamese delegation to the event.

At the forum, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ebrahim I Ebrahim said “ Vietnam is an important partner of South Africa ” and that South Africa attaches importance to promoting ties with Vietnam .

He also stressed the importance of the two countries’ cooperation within the framework of the South-South cooperation.

For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Minh noted that Vietnam always places great deal on the comprehensive ties with African countries, of which South Africa is seen as a top priority partner.

He called on relevant agencies to further the two countries’ partnership, especially in the fields of their strengths as well as in potential ones.

The two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation over the past time and discussed ways to boost it in the time to come, including the exchange of high-ranking delegations and collaboration at international forums.

Later, the foreign ministries of Vietnam and South Africa engaged in a political consultation./.