At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong emphasised that the Prime Minister’s visit marks a historic milestone, as Vietnam and South Africa elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. South Africa’s invitation for Vietnam to attend the G20 Summit reflects not only the country’s respect for Vietnam but also Vietnam’s growing international stature.

He noted that the Vietnamese community in South Africa numbers more than 200 people who remain connected to the homeland. He proposed further attention from the Vietnamese Government toward African markets, including strengthening cooperation agreements and business connections.

Members of the Vietnamese community expressed their delight at welcoming the Prime Minister as well as the significant progress in bilateral relations. They made proposals regarding legal status, visa and labour facilitation, expanded access to online public services, community activities, Vietnamese language teaching for children, and support for compatriots living in remote or challenging areas.

In a warm and heartfelt atmosphere, Prime Minister Chinh conveyed greetings from the homeland and underscored the traditional friendship between Vietnam and South Africa, rooted in both countries’ historic struggles for independence, national liberation, and the pursuit of prosperity for their peoples.

The Prime Minister highlighted the strong growth of bilateral ties, especially after the two countries agreed to upgrade relations to a Strategic Partnership. He noted priority cooperation areas such as agriculture, minerals, clean energy, oil refining, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Updating the community on the domestic situation, he mentioned the severe natural disasters occurring in Vietnam and affirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring social security under the principle of “leaving no one behind.” He called on overseas Vietnamese to support their compatriots upholding the spirit of mutual solidarity.

Prime Minister Chinh praised the contributions of Vietnamese communities worldwide, including those in South Africa, stressing that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation. He instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representative missions to strengthen citizen protection efforts, act more proactively and flexibly, and maintain 24/7 communication channels to assist Vietnamese nationals in emergencies.

He added that he had urged South African authorities to further facilitate the Vietnamese community, particularly regarding residence permits and work licenses, and expressed confidence that improvements will be made as cooperation deepens.

The Prime Minister encouraged the community to remain united, integrate well into the host society, respect local laws, uphold Vietnamese cultural identity, and serve as a bridge fostering stronger ties between Vietnam and South Africa.

Vietnam and South Africa upgrade bilateral relations to Strategic Partnership

VOV.VN - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa agreed to upgrade the Vietnam-South Africa relationship to a Strategic Partnership during their meeting in Johannesburg on November 21, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.