The Vietnam Business Forum in Cairo: Trade and Investment Opportunities within the Comprehensive Partnership Framework was held on December 7 in Egypt.

The forum saw the participation of Vietnamese enterprises attending the Food Africa 2025 exhibition. The event took place at a significant time as Vietnam and Egypt have officially upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership, opening a new chapter for deep, substantive, and effective cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at the forum, Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong welcomed the presence of numerous Vietnamese businesses in Cairo; he affirmed that the participation of the Vietnamese business delegation at Food Africa 2025 is of great importance, representing a concrete step to promote agricultural trade and expand Vietnam's presence in one of the largest markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Vietnam-Egypt relationship is a traditional friendship built on political trust and long-term cooperation. The upgrade to a Comprehensive Partnership reflects the determination of the leaders of both countries to develop economic and trade cooperation commensurate with their potential.

For Vietnam, Egypt is not only an important partner in North Africa but also a strategic gateway for Vietnamese goods to access the entire region. With a population of over 110 million, Egypt is a promising market for Vietnamese agricultural products, which are known for their quality and competitive value.

According to Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong, Egypt has been making strong reforms to improve the investment and business environment. The Egyptian government is implementing various programs to ensure food security, expand agricultural processing and preservation capacity, improve trade procedures, and enhance the signing of free trade agreements.

The Ambassador believes these are opportunities that Vietnamese businesses should proactively seize to increase market share and develop a sustainable market.

The participation of the Vietnamese business delegation at Food Africa 2025 is of great importance.

In the agricultural sector, many of Vietnam's key products such as pepper, cashew nuts, seafood, coffee, and processed products are gradually establishing their position in the Egyptian market. However, the agricultural trade turnover between the two countries is currently less than 50 million USD, accounting for a very small proportion of the total trade turnover of nearly 500 million USD, indicating a wide scope for cooperation.

Notably, Halal-certified products, an increasingly prominent competitive advantage of Vietnamese businesses, are opening opportunities for Vietnamese goods to penetrate deeper into Egypt's distribution system as well as other markets in the region.

Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong pledged to continue accompanying the business communities of both countries, maintaining programs for connection, dialogue, and market consultation to turn the opportunities of the Comprehensive Partnership into specific projects, contracts, and cooperative activities.

Accordingly, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Trade Office in Egypt will actively support businesses in market exploration, provide updated information, connect with reputable partners, advise on import-export processes, and especially coordinate with Egyptian authorities to resolve arising difficulties.

The Ambassador affirmed that the success of Vietnamese businesses in Egypt is the image and reputation of Vietnam in this vast region.

Food Africa 2025 is a crucial platform for Vietnamese businesses to promote products, learn consumer trends, expand partner networks, and assert the brand position of Vietnamese agricultural products in the region. With the foundation of the Comprehensive Partnership and the determination of both governments and the dynamism and creativity of the Vietnamese business community, Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong believes that economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Egypt, especially in the agricultural sector, will continue to grow significantly in the future.

The Ambassador hopes that businesses will achieve many good results within the framework of Food Africa 2025, find reliable partners, expand markets, and spread the brand of Vietnamese agricultural products in Egypt in particular and Africa in general.

The Vietnam-Egypt relationship is built on political trust and long-term cooperation.

At the forum, Mr. Alaa El-Bially, Head of Investment Promotion, Egyptian Commercial Service, presented in detail Egypt's investment attraction policies, including tax incentives for foreign investors; investment opportunities in agricultural products, food, logistics, and goods transshipment, as well as Egypt's strategic position as a gateway to the African market.

He affirmed that Egypt highly values the capabilities of Vietnamese businesses in agriculture, seafood, consumer goods, and industrial products—sectors with high demand in the Egyptian and regional markets.

On behalf of the Vietnamese businesses attending Food Africa 2025, Ms. Ho Thi Quyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center, thanked the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt for organizing a very meaningful and timely forum, creating an important foundation for Vietnamese businesses to maximize the potential of the Egyptian market and the region in the future.

She also expressed the desire for the Vietnamese Embassy to continue playing a bridging role between the authorities and the business community; support market information, trade promotion, investment consulting, especially new support mechanisms to expand the market, increase exports to Egypt, contributing to the development of economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries commensurate with the Comprehensive Partnership framework.