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Senior talks between the Vietnamese and South African Presidents
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In the talks and meeting, the leaders of the Vietnamese State and Government highly spoke of achievements made by the South African people in the national construction over the past decade under the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) as well positive contributions to peace, stability and development in Africa and the world. The Vietnamese leaders were convinced that President Thabo Mbeki's visit to Vietnam will develop the bilateral relationship between the two countries to a new height.
President Thabo Mbeki expressed his admiration to Vietnam's heroic struggle for national independence and freedom in the past and highly praised the country's economic development in the recent time. The President said that South Africa will learn Vietnam's experience on national construction and development. He congratulated Vietnam for successfully organizing a series of significant events which helped to encourage the Vietnamese people and improve the country's status in the international arena. President Thabo Mbeki expressed his desire to cement and deepen traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam in line with “the Common Declaration on Partnership for Cooperation and Development” signed in November 2004 by President Thabo Mbeki and PM Phan Văn Khải. The South African President confirmed that South Africa supports Vietnam's bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2008-2009) and recognizes Vietnam's market economy. He suggested that the two countries should take more practical measures to develop the bilateral relationship of mutual benefits.
State President Nguyễn Minh Triết thanked the South African people's and President Thabo Mbeki's good sentiments and great supports to Vietnam. He affirmed that Vietnam always insists on her diplomatic policy to diversifying and multilateralizing international relations for the sake of peace, cooperation and development. Vietnam will solidify and promote her relations with African traditional friends, including South Africa.
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PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng meets President Thabo Mbeki - Photo: VNGOP
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In the meeting with President Thabo Mbeki, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng also stressed that the Vietnamese Government wants to boost cooperation with South Africa corresponding to the two countries' great potentialities.
The PM asked South Africa to further help Vietnamese businesses to invest in agricultural production. He urged the two Governments to consider a closer cooperation in education and training as well as in national security and defense, especially in counter-terrorism.
The top leaders of Vietnam and South Africa showed their pleasure at the good results of the first meeting of the Vietnam-South Africa intergovernmental partnership forum and agreed to direct the governments, ministries and sectors of the two countries to take specific measures in promoting cooperation in trade, investment, science, technology, education, tourism, and other fields. The leaders also discussed some international and regional issues of common concerns.
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| Signing ceremony of the Vietnam-South Africa Joint Declaration |
After the talks, President Nguyễn Minh Triết and his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki signed the Joint Declaration and witnessed the signing ceremony of the Minutes of the first meeting of the "Vietnam-South Africa intergovernmental partnership forum”, “Agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and business passport holders” and “Agreements on Cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa Foreign Ministries”.
On this occasion, President Thabo Mbeki invited President Nguyễn Minh Triết to pay an official visit to South Africa. The Vietnamese President accepted with pleasure.
By Xuân Hồng
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