Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (left), Moroccan Ambassador Jamale Chouaibi (centre) and Palestianian Ambassador Saadi Salama, who is also head of the diplomatic corps in Vietnam, toast at the ceremony on May 24. (Photo: VNA)

In his remarks, Vu highlighted the historical significance of the Africa Day, which honours the African countries’ unyielding and enduring spirit of struggling for national liberation in the past, as well as their progress and achievements in the building of a peaceful and prosperous continent nowadays.

Vietnam highly values the stature and prestige of the African Union (AU) in the continent’s political-security, economic, and social life. It wishes to congratulate African people, under the AU’s leadership, on having obtained many enormous development attainments recognised by the United Nations and the international community as seen in the AU’s permanent membership of the Group of 20 (G20), he noted.

He voiced his belief that thanks to the countries’ strong implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa will soon become a dynamic development hub of the world.

The official affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and hopes to further intensify multifaceted relations with Africa, at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Vietnam became an observer of the AU in December 2023 and has practically contributed to the initial achievements of the AU’s Agenda 2063 with the vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”.

Bilateral trade posted impressive year-on-year growth of 8.9% to 8.92 billion USD in 2023 despite difficulties in Vietnam’s trade with the world, according to Vu.

Moroccan Ambassador to Vietnam Jamale Chouaibi, head of the group of African countries’ ambassadors in Hanoi, said Africa is emerging and undergoing economic and systematic transition with the ultimate goal of ensuring a just and sustainable future. As a growth powerhouse of the world and a land of opportunities, it is actively cooperating with partners to secure sustainable economic development, despite considerable difficulties relating to political instability, climate change, and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic facing the world.

He held that with Vietnam’s strengths and experience along with Africa’s demand and great natural advantages, the two sides boast much cooperation potential, particularly in the fields of food security, health care and energy, to work towards a prosperous and cohesive world.