State President Lương Cường and his Angolan counterpart João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço reviewed the guards of honour during the official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese leader in Luanda on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

LUANDA — Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and his spouse chaired an official welcome ceremony for visiting Vietnamese State President Lương Cường and his spouse at the Presidential Palace in Luanda at noon on Thursday (local time), with the highest protocol for a head of state.

This is the highest-level visit by a key leader of Việt Nam after decades, which takes place at a time when the two nations are preparing for the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (November 12, 1975-2025).

The two countries have enjoyed warm and longstanding cooperation through party, government, parliamentary, and people-to-people channels.

They have also provided mutual support throughout their respective national development journeys, as well as in multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Regular exchanges and meetings, especially at the high levels, have helped to deepen mutual understanding, strengthen political trust, and establish a shared strategic vision for the bilateral relations.

Angola recognised Việt Nam’s full market economy status in 2008. Although bilateral trade remains modest, it is on an upward trajectory. Trade between the two countries reached nearly US$250 million, with Việt Nam exporting rice, garments, coffee, confectionery, and cereal products, while importing wood products and liquefied gas from Angola.

As of December 2024, Angola had four investment projects in Việt Nam with total registered capital of $118.4 million, while Việt Nam had four projects in Angola worth nearly $3 million USD.

Angola is home to the largest Vietnamese community in Africa, with approximately 6,000 people who have contributed to local economic and social development.

Vietnamese businesses have shown increasing interest in Angola, particularly in the fields of oil and gas, construction, consumer goods, and agriculture.

Angolan enterprises have also expressed their interest in cooperation with Việt Nam in various fields such as telecommunications and high-tech agriculture.

Healthcare and education remain central pillars of bilateral cooperation. Since the 1980s, Việt Nam has sent professionals to Angola, where their expertise and dedication have earned widespread appreciation from local authorities and communities.

The achievements to date stand as a vivid testimony to the close-knit relationship between Angola and Việt Nam, not only in political and diplomatic spheres but also across concrete areas of cooperation, aimed at sustainable and mutually beneficial development.

Amid global economic uncertainties, the visit underscores Việt Nam’s commitment to diversifying its markets and partners, particularly in Africa - a continent with 1.5 billion people, abundant resources, a rising middle class, and a growing role in the global economy.

This visit is an important milestone, opening up a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries. It will lay the groundwork for the two nations to enhance cooperation in key areas such as green transition and digital transformation, energy, agriculture, education, healthcare, labour, climate change, tourism, and cultural exchange.

It is also expected to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses and investors, especially in the spheres of telecoms and energy, to expand their presence across Africa.

Angola, which is currently holding the rotating chairmanship of the African Union (AU), plays an increasingly important role in the United Nations and other multilateral forums. Việt Nam has served as an observer of the AU since 2023.

The visit offers an important opportunity to enhance cooperation between Việt Nam and the AU, as well as between Angola and ASEAN, positioning both nations as crucial bridges fostering inter-regional partnerships.

Immediately after the welcome ceremony, President Lương Cường and President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço led high-ranking delegations of the two countries to hold official talks to discuss measures to deepen bilateral relations. — VNA/VNS