Vietnam and Egypt hold great potential for cooperation, says ambassador

Speaking at a function marking Vietnam’s 79th National Day in Cairo on August 19, Dung highlighted the significance of the declaration of the independence of the Vietnamese state on September 2, 1945, as well as major milestones in Vietnam – Egypt relations over the past decades.

Vietnam – Egypt relations have developed in various areas since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1963, said the ambassador, adding that Egypt is one of the first countries in the Middle East and North Africa to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

According to the diplomat, the two sides have maintained high-level visits in recent times, including a Vietnam visit in 2017 by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an Egypt visit in 2018 by the then President Tran Dai Quang, and another Egypt visit by the then Minister of Public Security To Lam, who is currently Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam.

He noted that two-way trade between Vietnam and Egypt has maintained steady growth over the years, reaching US$246 million in the first six months of 2024 alone, up 21% year on year.

Vietnamese products with high export turnover include coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, machinery, equipment and spare parts, computers, electronic products and components, textiles and garments.

The largest wholly owned Vietnamese project in Egypt worth US$30 million has come into operation in Sadat city of Monufia province. Currently, more and more Vietnamese businesses are interested in the Egyptian market.

At the ceremony, Dung said Vietnam appreciates Egypt’s important role in promoting stability and security in the region.

Vietnam stands side by side with Egypt and other countries, and stays ready to participate in joint international efforts to promote dialogue and provide humanitarian assistance to people in regions affected by conflict, contributing to peace, security and stability in the region and the rest of the world, he affirmed.

For his part, Ambassador Ahmed Shaheen, Assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister for Asia, shared the Vietnamese diplomat’s view, saying relations between Vietnam and Egypt are increasingly developing in many fields.

Alongside maintaining high-level visit exchanges in the coming time, he said the two countries need to further promote all-round cooperation, especially in economics, trade, science and technology, education, culture and tourism.

Shaheen also expressed his wish for more and more Vietnamese businesses to invest and establish business establishments in the Egyptian market.