Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria and Senegal Trần Quốc Khánh. — VNA/VNS Photo

On the threshold of the official visit to Senegal by National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn between July 22-24, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria and Senegal Trần Quốc Khánh spoke to Vietnam News Agency, highlighting the significance of the visit as well as the bilateral relationship between Việt Nam and Senegal.

This is the first high-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Senegal in over a decade. Could you please elaborate on the visit and its significance?

The official visit to Senegal by National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and the high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State is of immense and historic significance.

This is the highest-level visit ever in the nearly 60-year history of relations between our two countries. The visit occurs at a very special time for both Việt Nam and Senegal, marking a turning point in our bilateral relations.

For Senegal, the nation is regarded as one of the most dynamic economies in the West African region. According to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, Senegal's economy is projected to grow by 8.3 per cent in 2025, the highest in the region. Senegal has also completed the consolidation of its political apparatus in 2024, through the election of its President and the appointment of the Prime Minister and the National Assembly Chairman.

As for Việt Nam, we have also successfully undertaken a very significant task: transitioning our administrative governance model from a three-tier to a two-tier system, which officially took effect on July 1, 2025.

The visit is expected to open new prospects for cooperation, promote friendly relations and make the cooperation between our two countries deeper and more substantive.

Beyond its core focus on strengthening cooperation between the two legislative bodies, the visit, with its large delegation including leaders from the Government and various ministries, will also facilitate the promotion of cooperation in many other areas, such as trade, agriculture, science, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Notably, cooperation within the framework of multilateral organisations where both countries are members is also a key area of focus.

Recently, Senegal actively supported Việt Nam's bid for the Yên Tử-Vĩnh Nghiêm-Côn Sơn-Kiếp Bạc Complex of Monuments and Landscapes to be recognised as a World Cultural Heritage site at the 47th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This is a vivid testament to the effective coordination between our two countries in the international arena, and it represents an area of cooperation that will be emphasised with the aim of further strengthening it in the future.

What is your assessment of the prospects for developing the relations between our two countries in the near future, both within the two legislative bodies and in other areas?

I’m completely optimistic about the prospects for developing cooperative relations between Việt Nam and Senegal in the times ahead.

During the preparations for this high-level Vietnamese delegation's visit, both Senegal and Việt Nam demonstrated special interest and a clear determination to elevate our bilateral relations to a new level. This is a positive signal that reflects the mutual consensus and readiness to cooperate on both sides.

With this visit being led by the NA Chairman, parliamentary cooperation will certainly be strengthened and make more substantive progress.

Furthermore, many other areas such as the economy, sports, agriculture, and local-level cooperation are also being actively promoted. We expect that specific areas of cooperation will be formalised through agreements signed during the visit.

Particularly in the field of sports, Senegal currently has a Vovinam (Vietnamese traditional martial art) movement that is developing very strongly in Africa, second only to Algeria. To date, there are more than 3,000 people practising Vovinam in clubs spread across the provinces and cities of Senegal.

This serves as an effective bridge for exchange between our two nations, helping to connect our peoples through both culture and sport.

Both of our nations share a martial spirit, a love for sports and youthful populations, favourable factors for promoting sustainable cooperation in the future.

How do you assess the potential for Việt Nam to serve as a bridge for Senegal to access the ASEAN market, and likewise, for Senegal to be a gateway for Việt Nam to penetrate deeper into the African market?

Within the framework of this visit, cooperation between Việt Nam and Senegal in international multilateral forums where both countries are members is identified as one of the key focuses.

Việt Nam is currently an active member of ASEAN, a dynamic region with an impressive economic growth rate that is increasingly attracting widespread attention from the international community.

For its part, Senegal holds a significant position in West Africa. It is a rapidly developing economy, possessing an open trade policy and serving as a founding member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, an influential organisation in the regional economic community.

Furthermore, Senegal is also one of the leading nations in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an integration mechanism that is opening up opportunities to access a continent-wide market of over one billion people.

With these characteristics, Senegal can certainly serve as a gateway for Vietnamese goods, services, and businesses to penetrate deeper into the West African market and the African market in general.

Conversely, Việt Nam can also be an important transit point and springboard to help Senegal access the ASEAN market, thereby expanding its presence in the Southeast Asian region.

However, it must be frankly acknowledged that to realise this potential, both countries need to make significant efforts, especially at the business and governmental levels.

Factors such as geographical distance, differences in technical standards, international payment systems, and logistics infrastructure continue to be challenges that must be addressed.

Nevertheless, I am confident that with high political determination, along with the support of ministries, agencies, and the business communities of both countries, Việt Nam and Senegal can absolutely become effective economic and cooperative bridges, not only on a bilateral level but also at the sub-regional and regional levels.

Could you please share some of the highlights of the overseas Vietnamese community in the West African nation?

One of Việt Nam's most prominent strengths in Senegal is the community of Vietnamese people living and working here. Although it numbers just over 2,000 people, this community has a long history, is closely-knit, and always maintains strong ties to its homeland.

In my many interactions with our overseas compatriots, especially the Kim Hội community, a group that originated from families with Vietnamese wives and Senegalese husbands who have lived in Senegal for generations, I have felt their profound affection for their homeland.

Despite the great geographical distance and long-term separation, the community has always preserved the beautiful aspects of Vietnamese culture. This is demonstrated through their maintenance of traditional cuisine, language, and community activities, especially during gatherings, where stories about their home country are always a central theme.

What is commendable is that the Vietnamese community here not only upholds its national identity but has also integrated very well into the host society. — VNS