President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio. — Photo courtesy of Afrikanheroes

HÀ NỘI — President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, and his spouse arrived at Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội yesterday afternoon, starting an official visit to Việt Nam that will run until March 20.

The visit is at the invitation of Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

An official welcome ceremony will be held for President Julius today. 

As scheduled, the two presidents will hold talks and witness the signing of documents between the two countries. 

President Julius will meet Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ. 

He is also scheduled to lay a wreath at the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum, attend a business forum and has some activities in Cần Thơ and HCM City. 

The visit is the first time ahead of state from Việt Nam or Sierra Leone has visited the other, and is a positive development between the two countries in the context of African countries, including Sierra Leone, attaching great importance to establishing and developing cooperation ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Việt Nam.

The two countries have engaged in economic cooperation and worked together in some other fields. In 2020, two-way trade reached US$49.26 million, up more than 200 per cent from the $17 million recorded in 2018, with Việt Nam’s overwhelming exports of $47 million. — VNS