Vietnam treasures and wishes to promote the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Egypt, especially in politics-diplomacy, culture, sports, tourism, and education-training, said National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. 

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

At a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Hanoi on September 7, the top legislator noted with pleasure the bilateral relationship, which is thriving across fields. 

Vietnamese people always keep in mind the warm sentiment and support of Egyptian people during the struggle for national liberation, the NA Chairwoman said, recalling how Gamal Eldin Omar, Counsellor and Charge d'affaires of the Egyptian Embassy, stood side by side with Vietnamese people during the fiercest time of the war in 1967. 

For his part, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi briefed the host on outcomes of his talks with President Tran Dai Quang, during which the two sides agreed on measures to enhance bilateral collaboration in various areas and signed many cooperation documents. 

As the first Egyptian President to visit Vietnam, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said his visit demonstrates Egypt’s determination to deepen the traditional friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, expressing his belief that the visit will contribute to boosting the bilateral ties in the time ahead. 

Talking about the role of female parliamentarians, President el-Sisi said there are approximately 90 women among 600 members of the Egyptian parliament.

Egyptian women have played an important role in protecting the traditional culture and maintaining national peace, stability and development, he said, noting that Egyptian women have created a momentum for social progress. 

Host and guest shared the view that parliament is a significant channel to advance the bilateral ties, and agreed to support the two legislative bodies to step up their cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in order to exchange law making experience, increase their supervisory role and accelerate the implementation of agreements reached by the two countries. 

Ngan told her guest that the Vietnam National Assembly has established the Vietnam-Egypt Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and suggested the Egypt side soon form the Egypt-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group to connect the two legislative bodies.

Vietnamese, Egyptian firms explore cooperation opportunities

The Vietnam-Egypt Business Forum was held in Hanoi on September 7, serving as a platform for enterprises from both countries to explore business and investment cooperation opportunities.
The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC).
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks at the Vietnam-Egypt Business Forum

Addressing the forum, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said when investing in Vietnam, Egyptian companies will have a chance to get access to the Vietnamese market with a population of 93 million and the ASEAN market of more than 600 million consumers.

There are plenty of potentials for bilateral trade and economic cooperation, especially in the fields of manufacturing, processing, garment-textiles, footwear, and oil and gas, he said, adding that Vietnam hopes Egypt will serve as a bridge to connect the Southeast Asian country with other nations in Africa.

The Vietnamese Government will accompany and create favourable conditions and an open investment environment for Vietnamese and Egyptian businesses, Minh stressed.

The Deputy PM also asked the VCCI to actively coordinate with the FEDCOC to facilitate business operations and connectivity of Vietnamese and Egyptian enterprises.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Egypt wants to become a strategic centre, thus developing logistics and building industrial parks to export products to other nations, as well as implementing projects on land development, renewable energy, and building new administrative urban areas.

Egypt welcomes Vietnamese businesses to invest in developing small-and medium-sized enterprises, shipbuilding, construction, aquaculture, fertilizer, and garment-textiles, he added.

Egypt is now the third biggest trade partner of Vietnam in Africa with two-way trade reaching an annual average level of 320 million USD. 

VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc said the VCCI will continue coordinating with the FEDCOC to increase the bilateral trade value to 1 billion USD in the future set by the two governments.

VNA