Vietnam, Sierra Leone desire stronger all-around ties
VOV.VN - President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Sierra Leonean counterpart Julius Maada Bio expressed joy at the positive development of Vietnam - Sierra Leone relations across a variety of fields during their talks held on March 15 in Hanoi.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the significance of the visit, which is taking place in the lead up to both nations' 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations (1982-2022).
Phuc congratulated Sierra Leone on its achievements in maintaining stability and socio-economic development, combating the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring social security under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio.
Phuc believes that Sierra Leone will continue to grow strongly and soon achieve the goals set out in the "Mid-term National Development Plan 2019-2023".
The President of Sierra Leone expressed his honor to pay his first visit to Vietnam, while emphasizing that this is a vivid manifestation of the sound relationship between Vietnam and Sierra Leone. He said he hopes that the visit will continue to strengthen cooperative relations between the two countries in the coming time.
He was greatly impressed by Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements in recent years and applauded the results of Vietnam's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery in the current period.
During the talks, the two leaders expressed their delight at the good development of Vietnam - Sierra Leone relations in many fields, with political and diplomatic cooperation becoming increasingly closer and effective, especially as reflected in delegation exchange between the two countries' heads of state.
At the multilateral level, the two countries regularly coordinate and support each other's candidacy for seats at multilateral forums and organizations, especially the United Nations.
Regarding economic ties, despite bilateral trade turnover remaining modest amid the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it still maintained its growth momentum, treble from US$17 million in 2018 to US$ 51.5 million in 2021. The two countries have also cooperated in the fields of agriculture and investment.
Phuc and Maada Bio compared notes on orientations to augment cooperation between the two nations in the time ahead.
With regard to political diplomacy, the pair consented to continue maintaining high-level visits and meetings, and delegation exchange at all levels, boost coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement, support expanding cooperation at the African regional level through the African Union.
The two leaders agreed to consider economic development to be a key area of cooperation as they underlined the need to make the most of potential and strengths of the two economies.
Furthermore, they pledged to seriously implement agreements reached to further promote trade cooperation, including rice trade, encourage and create favorable conditions for enterprises of the two countries to seek opportunities for business and investment cooperation.
Due to similar climatic and soil conditions, the two sides affirmed their wish to make agriculture a pillar of bilateral cooperation in which they learn and share experience to bolster agricultural cooperation within the bilateral framework as well as the tripartite cooperation between the two countries, along with the participation of international development organizations, industrialized countries and investors from the private sector.
In addition, host and guest also discussed a score of measures to expand cooperation in fields such as high technology, telecommunications, digital transformation, innovation, education and training.
After the talks, both State leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of three bilateral cooperation documents between ministries and agencies in the fields of diplomacy, agriculture and fisheries, thereby creating a foundation for propelling cooperation between Vietnam - Sierra Leone forward.
