Vietnam and African countries jointly opened the second international conference themed "Vietnam - Africa: Cooperation for Joint Sustainable Development" in Hanoi from September 17 to 19, 2010.
At a recent press conference by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung said this workshop has great significance and creates the foundation to bring Vietnam-Africa relations into a new era of stability, while re-evaluating the status quo of the past economic cooperation and its advantages and challenges, and discussing other breakthrough measures in fields such as agriculture, mining, trade, expert personnel cooperation, infrastructure development and human resources. The conference coincides with the conclusion of the “National Action Programme for Vietnam - Africa Cooperation Promotion in 2004 - 2010."
To date, 41 international delegations attended the conference, including 23 African countries and 15 international organizations (with 12 ministers and a Deputy UN Secretary General.) Many representatives from international organizations, experts from countries with multilateral cooperation projects with Vietnam and Africa (France, South Africa, etc), scholars, African researchers, and representatives of African businesses have also registered to attend the meeting.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered a keynote speech to the second Vietnam - African international meeting. Leaders of many ministries, branches and localities will also participate in the event.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hung said, on this occasion, Vietnam will present a roadmap promoting the two-way relations in the next 10 years, from building and completing legal frameworks to defining prioritised fields and specific measures to spur cooperation.
Several important documents are expected to be concluded at the conference, including a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and public passport holders travelling between Burkina Faso, Egypt and Vietnam, and an agreement on economic, cultural, scientific and technical cooperation between Vietnam and the Seychelles.
On the sidelines of the conference, international delegates will have the chance to meet with Vietnamese leaders and businesses, attend Vietnamese export exhibitions, and visit enterprises with proven potential to forge business ties with Africa, especially producers of crops, livestock, tractors, electric wires, electrical appliances and textiles.
Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 51 of the 54 African nations. The two sides have many similarities: Both are developing and extending collaboration. Many African countries admire Vietnam’s achievements in economic construction and development.
At the first conference on Vietnam - Africa cooperation in 2003, Vietnam launched a national action programme promoting bilateral cooperation for 2004 - 2010 with measurable results, most notably the bilateral trade turnover climbing from US$360 million in 2003 to US$2 billion in 2008. However, this figure is still modest in relation with the potential of the two sides. Two-way trade turnover is expected reach nearly US$3 billion in 2010.
Quynh Chi
Vietnamese
