Vietnamese and South African legislatures strengthen exchanges and cooperation

During a working session held at the parliament of South Africa in Cape Town with Madala Louis David Ntombel, chairman of the International Relations Committee, Tuan briefed the host on the organisation and operation of the Vietnamese NA. He noted that one of the main purposes of his visit is to supervise the enforcement of policies and laws relating to diplomatic ranks and Vietnamese representative missions abroad. 

Highlighting the similarities in the history of the two countries, Ntombela said that Vietnam was a great source of encouragement for the people of South Africa during its historical struggles for national independence.

He said that South Africa has a total of 116 embassies based around the world, expressing hope that they can learn from Vietnam in supervising policy and law implementation.

During the meeting, South African legislators made several proposals for ways which the two countries could develop their economic partnership to match the potential that exists for bilateral co-operation, along with promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Receiving the Vietnamese NA delegation, Cedric Thomas Frolick, chairman for Committees, Oversight, and ICT at the South African parliament, said he was hugely impressed with Vietnamese economic achievements. He affirmed that South Africa is keen to develop relations with Southeast Asian countries, especially Vietnam.

South Africa is therefore enthusiastic at the prospect of dispatching a delegation of parliamentarians to the country to exchange and learn from the nation’s experience, he said.

Tuan, who is president of the Vietnam-South Africa Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, suggested that both sides strive to intensify exchanges among parliamentarians, while proposing that South Africa form a similar friendship group.

In response, Frolick said that the South African side will consider this idea.
Upon meeting Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes in Pretoria, Tuan said that South Africa is the country’s only partner for co-operation and development in Africa, indicating the nation’s appreciation and attention to ties with South Africa.

He used the event to thank the South African Government for its support of Vietnam at multilateral forums such as the UN, as well as their assistance in stepping up linkages with the African Union, as well as other African countries.

He affirmed the nation’s willingness to support South Africa in developing relations with ASEAN member states, as well as helping the South African parliament to bolster co-operation with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Tuan said that, as part of the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2023, the country is poised to launch a Vietnam Day in South Africa, the first of its kind to be held in an African country.

For his part, Botes expressed pleasure at the sound development of partnership between the two countries in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.

He noted that the two sides should work together to further promote economic and trade partnership, as well as calling on businesses of both sides to explore collaboration opportunities in each country, thereby further promoting economic diplomacy between the two nations.

During the course of the meeting, the two sides also discussed the various benefits and opportunities of free trade agreements, joint co-operation, and the candidacy for UN positions.