Vietnam and South Africa have pledged to elevate their bilateral cooperation to a new level, following a two-day official visit to Hanoi by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. During talks, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong described the discussions as “fruitful” and said both leaders agreed to steer relations towards a deeper, more effective phase of collaboration. This was reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Alongside plans to expand bilateral trade, the two nations committed to strengthening cooperation in priority sectors including energy, mining, agriculture and aquaculture. The leaders also welcomed the issuance of a Joint Declaration and endorsed efforts to negotiate further legal frameworks aimed at underpinning more robust cooperation in the years ahead.

In a separate meeting, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Ramaphosa expressed their intention to complete procedures this year to upgrade ties to a Strategic Partnership, setting what they hope will become a model of South-South cooperation.

Chinh pointed to major untapped potential between the countries and highlighted future collaboration in green transition, the creative economy, renewable energy, communications, digital transformation and climate action. He also urged South Africa to support the early launch of free trade negotiations between Vietnam and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS