Viet Nam, Angola mark 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties

The event, held by the Embassy of Viet Nam in Angloa, was attended by State President Luong Cuong who is on a State visit to the African country.

The event also drew the participation of Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, senior leaders of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), members of the diplomatic corps, local friends, and around 400 representatives of the Vietnamese community in Angola.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son described the event as a significant milestone, especially as it coincides with President Luong Cuong's visit — the first by a senior Vietnamese leader to Angola in nearly two decades.

He recalled that the Viet Nam–Angola friendship was forged during their struggles for national liberation. Landmark visits, including MPLA leader Agostinho Neto's trip to Viet Nam in 1971 and General Vo Nguyen Giap's visit to Angola in 1980, helped cement the countries' solidarity.

On November 12, 1975, just one day after Angola declared independence, the two nations officially established diplomatic relations, laying the groundwork for a partnership rooted in shared values of independence, freedom, and development.

Over the past five decades, the relationship has grown steadily, marked by strong political trust and close bonds between their Parties, States, Governments, and peoples. Bilateral cooperation has expanded across politics, diplomacy, economy, culture, education, health, and people-to-people exchanges.

Bui emphasized that President Luong's visit holds special importance as it sets the direction for future cooperation and reaffirms Viet Nam's policy of deepening relations with Angola and Africa as a whole. He described the Viet Nam–Angola friendship as a precious asset that should be preserved and strengthened to foster collaboration and unlock potential for mutual benefits.

He was convinced that with the backing of both countries' leaders, strong political will, a spirit of sincere cooperation, and support from international partners, the relations between Viet Nam and Angola will continue to flourish, meeting the aspirations of their peoples and contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in their regions and beyond.

For his part, Angolan Minister of External Relations Tete Antonio hailed the trusted and close-knit relationship between the two countries, built on solidarity, mutual respect, and friendly cooperation since the struggle for independence.

He commended Viet Nam's courage and resilience, which have inspired the Angolan people, and thanked Viet Nam for its valuable support in agriculture, education, and health. Many Angolan professionals trained in Viet Nam, he noted, have made important contributions to development in his country.

Looking ahead, Antonio called for deepening strategic cooperation and tapping new opportunities in trade, science, technology, tourism, cultural exchange, and business connectivity./.