Vietnam always attaches importance to maintaining the traditional friendship with Egypt via State, National Assembly and Government channels, and people-to-people exchange, President Tran Dai Quang said on August 27. 

President Tran Dai Quang (left) and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt Ali Abdel Aal.

At a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt Ali Abdel Aal in Cairo as part of his State visit to the country, President Quang lauded the Egyptian legislature for its efforts in establishing the Egypt-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group. 

He expressed his hope that the group and its Vietnamese counterpart will intensify exchanges to promote the inter-parliamentary ties, contributing to consolidating the fruitful relations between the two countries. 

Vietnam always treasures the traditional friendship, the leader said, expressing his thanks to Egyptian people for their valuable support to Vietnam during its past struggle for national liberation as well as the present cause of national construction and development. 

He spoke highly of achievements Egypt has recorded in maintaining political stability and national development, which have seen constructive contributions of the Egyptian legislative body. 

The President urged parliamentary agencies of the two countries to increase delegation exchange and cooperation and mutual support at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums.

On this occasion, President Quang conveyed National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan’s invitation to Speaker  Ali Abdel Aal to pay an official visit to Vietnam. The Egyptian top legislator accepted the invitation with pleasure. 

The host expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s efforts for national independence in the past, and his impression of the country’s economic development. 

Vietnam and Egypt established diplomatic ties 55 years ago but the foundation for their relationship was laid since President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to Egypt more than a century ago, he said. 

Over the past 55 years, the two countries have reaped significant cooperation achievements, especially in politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, culture, education and training, the leader noted. 

Ali Abdel Aal said he hopes President Quang’s visit will contribute to creating breakthroughs in the bilateral ties, particularly in economy, in order to soon complete the target of raising the two-way trade to 1 billion USD in 2020, for the interest of each nation. 

He assigned the Egypt-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group to work as a bridge to promote cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries as well as their legislatures.

Vietnam, Egypt should bolster trade promotion: President

President Tran Dai Quang (R) and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly 

Accelerating trade promotion is crucial for Vietnam and Egypt to make the bilateral economic and trade ties develop in a more effective and practical manner, President Tran Dai Quang has said.

In a meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on August 27 as part of his visit to the African country, President Quang recommended both sides focus more on market study across the fields of energy, telecommunications, garment and leather shoes, food processing, and metallurgy, among others.

He proposed Egypt complete domestic procedures so that the agreement on double taxation avoidance will soon take effect, facilitating Vietnam to bring its farm produce such as peppercorn, coffee and tea, and aquatic products like tra and basa fish into Egyptian supermarkets.

President Quang said he believed that together with concerted efforts and direction of the two Governments, the eight agreements inked during his visit will elevate the cooperative ties in 2018 and the following years.

Also, he lauded the Egyptian Government’s role in maintaining social order and developing the economy in the past time, which helps Egypt become a leading economy in the continent with its GDP reaching 1.2 trillion USD and economic growth at more than 5 percent per year.

He expressed his hope that the visit will contribute to helping both nations realise their set goals of 1 billion USD in bilateral trade value by 2020.

The Egyptian Prime Minister, for his part, affirmed he will direct relevant ministries and sectors to effectively implement the signed agreements as well as make meticulous preparations for the 6th meeting of the Vietnam-Egypt Inter-governmental Committee to be held in Egypt in 2019.

He pledged to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises in making investment in the host nation.

At the meeting, both sides agreed to carry out the Halal standard programme for Vietnamese exports to Muslim market in general and Egypt in particular. They lauded the cooperative agreement between Ninh Binh province and Egypt’s Luxor city, saying that it will create premise for other localities to bolster collaborative mechanisms and set up twining relations.

On the occasion, President Quang conveyed to Mostafa Madbouly Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s invitation to visit Vietnam at an early date, and the Egyptian leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

On August 27, President Quang’s spouse, Nguyen Thi Hien, visited Egypt’s Children’s Cancer Hospital.

VNA