PM foresees bright future for cooperation with Africa

The future is bright for traditional friendship and cooperation with Africa, though challenges remain, prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung said yesterday.

Dung was addressing the second Vietnam-Africa International Forum held in Hanoi over two days.

Also attending were deputy PM cum Foreign minister Pham Gia Khiem and Under Secretary general of the United Nations Cheick Sidi Diarra, who is also special advisor on Africa and high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states.

Ministers, ambassadors and representatives from various African countries, businesses and international organisations also attended.

Dung said all challenges for more effective cooperation, which included the insufficiency of exchange of visits at various levels, the incomplete legal framework and the failure to have adequate communication and promotion activities could be tackled through effective cooperation.

“We have much in common,” Dung said, “and there are many noble goals and ideals that we share.

“We have the determination and we are here at this important forum to find ways and means to overcome difficulties.”

Dung said the past years of working together had shown Vietnam was capable of meeting the demands for cooperation in the development of Africa, especially in the areas of agriculture, education and training, energy, healthcare, labour, investment and infrastructure.

In opening remarks at the forum, deputy PM Khiem said relations with African countries in recent years had become an important part of Vietnam’s foreign policy.

“Since the first Vietnam-Africa International Forum in 2003, we have made great strides in our bilateral and multilateral relations,” Khiem said.

They included strengthened political and diplomatic ties, a five-fold increase in trade turnover, positive transformations in many cooperation areas such as agriculture, energy and labour; the signing of over 70 cooperation agreements.

Cheick Sidi Diarra hailed Vietnam’s steady progress towards its Millennium Development Goals and the forum’s importance in boosting cooperation between Africa and Vietnam.

“The growing relationship between Africa and Vietnam is welcome because it has great potential to develop productive capacity and contribute to the achievement of sustained growth and poverty reduction,” Cheick Sidi Diarra said.

“The current Vietnam-Africa International Forum on Cooperation for Sustainable Development is more than relevant and timely for this global effort towards the achievement of internationally agreed development goals including the Millenium Development Goals.”

A panel discussion on food security, agricultural cooperation and poverty reduction was chaired by minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, and one on trade, energy and investment cooperation was chaired by minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang.

Vietnam-Africa bilateral trade turnover has increased from $372.4 million in 2003 to $2.07 billion in 2009. Vietnam has had trade exchanges with most African countries. Vietnam’s key import commodities from Africa include iron and steel, raw cashew nuts, cotton, wood materials, fertiliser and tobacco materials.

The nation mainly exports rice, garments, footwear, electronic equipment, wood products and motor vehicles to African markets.

Presidential meetings

The same day, President Nguyen Minh Triet received leaders of the African delegations and international organisations participating in the forum.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese people and State always kept in mind the valuable support that the African people had given to Vietnam in the struggle for national independence and unity.

Having overcome many difficulties and attained achievements in the process of national reconstruction and development, Vietnam was ready to share with African friends its experience in farming and food security, as well as lessons in hunger alleviation and poverty reduction, and healthcare and educational development.

Vietnam was consistently willing to expand its cooperative relationship with African nations in the spirit of equality and for mutual benefit, he said.

He expressed his pleasure at the developments in trade and commercial cooperation between Vietnam and Africa over the past six years.

Vietnam would make its best efforts to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between Vietnam and each African country as well as the African community, he stressed.

Triet thanked UN undersecretary general Cheick Sidi Diarra for his presence at the conference, highly appreciating the UN’s role in facilitating the relationship between Vietnam and Africa as well as its support in implementing development programmes.

Diarra expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s achievements, saying that the country’s experience and lessons would be very helpful to African nations.

Delegations would work actively in the forum to seek cooperative opportunities and fully make use of all sides’ strengths and potential in order to bring ties to a new height.

On the sidelines of the forum, deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem held bilateral meetings with Diarra, Seychelles minister of Forein Affairs Jean-Paul Adam, and Togo minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ohin Ahlin Elliot, as well as the economics advisor to the prime minister of Ethiopia, Gebre Ab Newaychristo.

Tags: Vietnam Africa trade