Viet Nam, Egypt to enter new phase of cooperation

This marks the first state visit by a Vietnamese State President to Egypt since former President Tran Dai Quang's trip in 2018. Ambassador Nguyen described the visit as a major political and diplomatic milestone, reflecting both countries' strong commitment to enhancing political trust, deepening traditional friendship, and creating breakthroughs in bilateral relations.

Luong is expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and meet with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Senate President Abdel-Razeq, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanafy el-Gebaly. He will also deliver a policy speech at the Arab League headquarters and meet with embassy staff, relevant agencies, and members of the Vietnamese community in Egypt.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1963, Viet Nam and Egypt have made significant strides in their partnership across multiple fields, grounded in mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation.

The two countries are expected to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership during the visit, laying the groundwork for expanded collaboration. New cooperation mechanisms are also being considered, based on principles of international law, sovereignty, independence, and mutual political respect.

Ambassador Nguyen highlighted that Egypt was the first North African country to officially recognize Viet Nam as a full market economy in 2013. 

Egypt remains a key trading partner for Viet Nam in the region, with two-way trade reaching US$541.36 million in 2024. Viet Nam enjoying a trade surplus of US$472.63 million.

Currently, one Vietnamese enterprise has invested around US$30 million in Egypt, and a Vietnamese garment firm has formed a joint venture with an Egyptian partner. By the end of 2024, Vietnamese banks had established 46 dealer relationships with Egyptian counterparts, with total transactions amounting to approximately US$235 million—the highest in Africa.

Egypt has 22 registered investment projects in Viet Nam, worth a combined US$2.78 million.

The two nations have maintained close coordination at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), African Union (AU), and ASEAN. They continue to support each other's global agendas and act as conduits for broader cooperation between ASEAN and Arab countries.

Looking ahead, the Ambassador affirmed that Viet Nam and Egypt have immense potential for deeper collaboration at both bilateral and multilateral levels. With a combined population of over 200 million and strategic locations, both countries are well-positioned to complement each other's development goals.

Ambassador Nguyen emphasized that Egypt serves as a vital entry point for Viet Nam to access the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, while Egypt can view Viet Nam as a gateway to the ASEAN market. Together, they can act as strategic bridges between MENA and Southeast Asia in key areas such as diplomacy, trade, investment, infrastructure, logistics, culture, education, and tourism./.