The visit aims to reinforce political trust and further deepen the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Egypt, while creating fresh impetus for a new phase of cooperation, especially in economics, trade, and investment with Egypt, as well as with other African nations.

President Luong Cuong will pay a state visit to Egypt from August 3-6, 2025 at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.  On this occasion, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) correspondent in Egypt interviewed Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyen Huy Dung about key aspects of the visit.

According to Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung, Vietnam and Egypt share a long-standing and special relationship dating back to the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

VOV: First of all, could you elaborate on the significance and importance of this visit for Vietnam-Egypt relations?

Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung: The State visit to Egypt by President Luong Cuong holds strategic significance and will have a lasting impact on the development of Vietnam–Egypt relations, as both countries are entering a new era and phase of development. This is the first State visit by a Vietnamese President to Egypt in more than seven years, since President Tran Dai Quang’s visit in 2018.

This visit is a major political and diplomatic event for both countries, carrying special significance. It demonstrates a commitment to making breakthroughs, elevating bilateral ties, reinforcing political trust, and further deepening the traditional friendship. In doing so, it creates momentum for a new phase of cooperation, especially in economics, trade, and investment, not only between Vietnam and Egypt but also with other African nations.

The visit comes at a pivotal time for both countries. Vietnam is striving to fulfill the foreign policy goals set at the 13th National Party Congress, advancing key breakthroughs in institutional reform and infrastructure development to serve national progress, and preparing for the upcoming 14th National Party Congress.

The country is also preparing to review the plan on developing relations between Vietnam and Middle Eastern-African Countries for 2016–2025” and the plan on strengthening ties between Vietnam and the African Union for 2021–2025.” Meanwhile, Egypt is accelerating efforts to implement its “Egypt Vision 2030” strategy, aimed at advancing economic development and solidifying its role regionally and globally.

VOV: What are the major activities and agenda items during this visit?

Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung: During the visit, President Luong Cuong is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and also meet with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Speaker of the Senate Abdel-Razek, and Speaker of the House of Representatives El-Gebaly. He will also visit the headquarters of the Arab League and deliver a policy address there.

In addition, the Vietnamese State leader will meet with Vietnamese Embassy staff and other representative offices, as well as members of the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Egypt.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1963, the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Egypt has achieved notable progress and steadily expanded across multiple areas. This relationship is grounded in friendship, equality, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation, all serving the interests of the two peoples.

To further strengthen political trust and elevate the bilateral relationship in a more comprehensive and substantive manner, the leaders of both countries, during this State visit by the Vietnamese President to Egypt, are expected to agree on elevating ties to a comprehensive partnership. This upgrade would open up a new space for cooperation, rich in potential and opportunities, thereby fostering a future of shared prosperity. It would also help develop and make better use of new cooperation mechanisms, based on respect for international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the political institutions of each country.

I firmly believe that, with the strong commitment and close coordination between the two sides, along with thorough preparations in both agenda and content, President Luong Cuong’s state visit to Egypt will be a success in every aspect. It will mark a new milestone in the long-standing traditional friendship between the two countries, a relationship founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and carefully nurtured and developed by generations of leaders and people over the past six decades. This visit will not only affirm the continuity of that fine tradition, but also reflect the strategic vision of both countries’ leaders in boosting bilateral ties for the benefit of our peoples, and contributing to regional and global peace and stability.

VOV: What is your assessment of the key outcomes of Vietnam–Egypt cooperation in recent years, both bilaterally and multilaterally?

Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung: Vietnam and Egypt share a long-standing and uniquely close relationship dating back to the establishment of diplomatic ties. The two countries have consistently supported each other, not only during the past struggles for national liberation, but also at today’s multilateral forums and in international organizations. Egypt was among the first countries to recognize the South Vietnam Liberation National Front and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and political parties in Egypt, particularly those with shared ideological orientations, have also continued to grow steadily.

Bilateral relations between the two countries have reached new heights, marked by state visits by both sides in 2017 and 2018, and now with the upcoming state visit by President Luong Cuong. In recent years, Vietnam-Egypt ties have continued to see great progress. For instance, in 2023, as both nations celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and high-level delegations, including Politburo member and Minister of Public Security To Lam, and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang visited Egypt.

Egypt was the first North African country to officially recognize Vietnam’s full market economy status, in November 2013. It remains one of Vietnam’s key markets in the region, with bilateral trade reaching over US$541 million, currently the highest in North Africa.

In the multilateral framework, the two countries have maintained close coordination and mutual support at forums such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the African Union (AU), and ASEAN. They continue to offer mutual support and work closely together at multilateral forums, particularly by serving as bridges to strengthen ties between ASEAN and Arab as well as African countries, for the benefit of their peoples and for peace, cooperation, and development in both regions.

VOV: In your view, what are the current and future prospects for cooperation between the two countries?

Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung: Egypt holds a strategically important position and maintains considerable influence and voice within regional organizations such as the Arab League (AL), the African Union (AU), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It also plays a key mediating role in various conflicts in the region. At present, Egypt enjoys good relations with all major powers, has recently joined the BRICS group, and is expanding its ties with countries in the Asia–Pacific region, including ASEAN and Vietnam.

During the 8th Future Investment Initiative (FII8) held in Saudi Arabia in October 2024, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reached  consensus on encouraging businesses from both countries to invest in each other’s markets in such areas as electric vehicles, software research, renewable energy, solar power, green transition, and digital transformation. They also agreed to bolster cooperation in training, cultural exchange, tourism, and mutual understanding.

At the political consultation between the two foreign ministries in November 2024, both sides reaffirmed the traditional cooperative ties between Vietnam and Egypt, emphasizing the potential for broader co-operation in economics, trade, investment, green energy, Halal food, and food security toward taking bilateral economic relations to a new level.

It is clear that both countries have ample room to augment cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels. Vietnam and Egypt possess complementary strengths for mutual development, with each being a major market of over 100 million people and holding a strategically important geopolitical position on the world map.

Moreover, the two countries share many geopolitical and historical similarities, along with longstanding political ties and deep-rooted mutual affection between their peoples. These are important advantages and form a solid foundation for further propelling their comprehensive partnership forward in the time ahead.

VOV: Thank you so much for this interview.

Vietnam reinforces all-around ties with Egypt

VOV.VN - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held a phone conversation on September 17 with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty.