A New Era of Collaboration with Africa

9 August, 2025

On the afternoon of August 8, local time, State President Luong Cuong and his wife, along with the Vietnamese high-level delegation, departed Luanda, successfully concluding their state visit to the Republic of Angola at the invitation of President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and his wife.

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave an interview about the results of State President Luong Cuong’s state visit to Egypt and Angola.

– Could the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister tell us about the significance of State President Luong Cuong’s state visit to Egypt and Angola?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: The state visit of State President Luong Cuong and his wife to Egypt and Angola was extremely significant. It was the first state visit of a key Vietnamese leader to Egypt in seven years and to Angola in 17 years. The visit demonstrated the scope of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era, aiming to elevate Vietnam’s relations with important partners in the region, such as Egypt and Angola, to new heights while conveying the Vietnamese Party and State’s important policy message to all African countries.

Africa is home to numerous traditional friends of Vietnam. The 55 member states of the African Union make up more than a quarter of the United Nations’ membership. Egypt and Angola are countries with significant roles and positions in the region, with Egypt hosting the headquarters of the Arab League and Angola being the current chair of the African Union.

The visit took place amid profound and epochal changes in the world, as correctly observed by General Secretary To Lam. The role and voice of developing countries are increasingly valued.

State President Luong Cuong and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi taking a photo together. Photo: VNA

Therefore, State President Luong Cuong’s visit affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralism, reflecting the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among Southern countries in shaping a new, more equitable and fair world order.

With this significance, the visit not only affirmed our long-lasting sentiments towards traditional friends in Africa but also contributed to promoting comprehensive cooperation in various fields, especially market and partner diversification, to serve the country’s development goals.

– Could you please share with us the outstanding results of this visit?

Minister Bui Thanh Son: The state visit of State President Luong Cuong to Egypt and Angola was very successful, achieving all set goals.

In Egypt and Angola, State President Luong Cuong had a rich and effective program, including important talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, meetings with high-ranking leaders of the two countries, and attendance at the 50th anniversary celebration of Vietnam-Angola diplomatic relations.

For the first time, the State President visited the Arab League headquarters and delivered important policy speeches before the Arab League and at a special plenary session of the Angolan Parliament, conveying a message affirming Vietnam’s desire to elevate friendship and cooperation with Egypt, Angola, the Arab League, and African countries to new heights, serving as a bridge to promote peace, cooperation, and development between the Asian and African regions.

State President Luong Cuong meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Photo: VNA

In addition to official activities during the visit, the State President worked directly with Vietnamese ambassadors in Africa, met with embassy officials and staff, and had gatherings with the Vietnamese community in Egypt and Angola to provide directions for further promotion of relations with this increasingly important region. Ministers and leaders of ministries and sectors accompanying the delegation also had numerous meetings and worked with partners and businesses in Egypt and Angola.

Throughout the visit, both countries accorded a cordial, respectful, and hospitable reception to State President Luong Cuong, his wife, and the Vietnamese high-level delegation, demonstrating their special regard for Vietnam.

During the meetings, our Egyptian and Angolan friends expressed their special sentiments towards President Ho Chi Minh and their admiration for Vietnam’s history of national liberation struggle, considering Vietnam as a source of inspiration and a successful development model for developing countries, including Egypt and Angola.

The visit achieved all set goals with very practical and outstanding outcomes as follows:

Firstly, we have established a new framework for relations between Vietnam and countries in the region. The Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and Egypt is the first comprehensive partnership framework that Vietnam has established in Africa. The visit also determined the direction of building the “cooperative development partnership” between Vietnam and Angola as a model for South-South cooperation, practically serving the development needs and interests of each country.

Along with the two Joint Statements between Vietnam and Egypt and Angola, we signed many important cooperation documents in the fields of economy, trade, investment, defense, security, peacekeeping, justice, transfer of sentenced persons, prosecution, television, agriculture, and local cooperation. These documents will create a solid framework for further positive developments in relations with Egypt and Angola in the coming years.

State President Luong Cuong and Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco witness the signing of a Letter of Intent on defense cooperation between Vietnam and Angola. Photo: VNA

Secondly, the visit has facilitated Vietnamese businesses’ access to markets and promoted investment while opening up opportunities for cooperation in new and potential areas. Egypt and Angola welcomed and committed to facilitating the access of some of Vietnam’s key products to their markets, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest and operate in each country, and promoting cooperation in the Halal industry with Egypt and in potential oil and gas projects and oil and gas technical services in Angola.

Egypt and Angola also agreed to increase bilateral trade to 1 billion USD and Egypt is ready to promote the early initiation of FTA negotiations with Vietnam and the establishment of the Vietnam-Egypt Business Council.

This will contribute to opening up opportunities for Vietnam to access the potential market of 1.5 billion people in Africa. Our partners also responded very positively to our proposals in innovation, green transition, digital transformation, climate change response, clean energy, oil and gas, mining, and the Halal industry…

Thirdly, the State President conveyed important policy messages of the Vietnamese Party and State to many countries in the African and Arab regions. The State President delivered important policy speeches at the headquarters of the Arab League and the Angolan Parliament.

We affirmed Vietnam’s role, position, and orientation in the new era, expressing our desire to write a new chapter in multifaceted cooperation with Arab and African brotherly countries for peace, cooperation, and development.

State President Luong Cuong delivering a policy speech to the Angolan Parliament. Photo: VNA

In the context of complex global developments, these policy messages will strengthen the bond, sentiments, and trust between Vietnam and Arab and African countries, enhance close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. At the same time, we also contribute to promoting relations between ASEAN and the Arab League and the African Union.

– Could you please share with us the measures to implement the results of the visit to Egypt and Angola?

First of all, it is very important to urge the implementation of commitments and agreements. The Government has a mechanism to periodically review international commitments and agreements.

The spirit of “saying is doing” and “committing is implementing” needs to be demonstrated clearly. Accordingly, in the coming time, we need to coordinate closely with Egypt and Angola to promote the implementation and concretization of the achieved results, especially in building an Action Plan to implement the Vietnam-Egypt Comprehensive Partnership framework. Vietnam and Egypt have agreed to hold an Inter-Governmental Committee meeting in 2025 to concretize the results of the visit.

Secondly, it is necessary to promptly initiate and implement new established mechanisms and promote the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms. We need to take advantage of the positive momentum in relations with African countries in recent times to promote delegation exchanges at all levels, especially at the high level, through Party, State, Government, National Assembly channels, and people-to-people exchanges.

State President Luong Cuong and Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco on the reviewing stand at the farewell ceremony for State President Luong Cuong and his wife during their state visit to Angola. Photo: VNA

Thirdly, promote coordination between the Government and businesses, people, and between central and local levels in exploiting the agreements reached with the countries. Regarding Egypt, it is necessary to maximize cooperation with the Egyptian side in developing the Halal industry, tourism, textiles, and education, especially the commitment of the Egyptian Prime Minister to offer more scholarships for Vietnamese students.

Effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms between Vietnam and each country, such as the Inter-Governmental Committee/Joint Committee, Political Consultation between the two Foreign Ministries, encourage and facilitate business connections, trade and investment promotion, and at the same time, enhance cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges, thereby consolidating solidarity, traditional friendship, and mutual trust.

Regarding Angola, it is necessary to soon implement measures to create breakthroughs in the fields of energy, mining, agriculture, and banking, while continuing to promote the dispatch of Vietnamese experts in education, health, and defense and security cooperation…

Vietnamese ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses need to proactively work with Egyptian and Angolan partners to review and remove difficulties and obstacles in economic cooperation, further open the door for each other’s goods and agricultural products…, aiming for a bilateral trade turnover of 1 billion USD with each country and signing an FTA or bilateral trade agreement with Egypt in the near future.

Minister Bui Thanh Son

– 00:08 09/08/2025