National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn meets with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa on October 24. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s legislature is committed to deepening friendship and multifaceted cooperation with South Africa, making parliamentary collaboration a central pillar of bilateral relations, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn said on Friday while meeting South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, who is paying a State visit to Việt Nam from October 23–24.

Chairman Mẫn said the visit would mark an important milestone, ushering in a new phase of Việt Nam–South Africa relations, deepening political trust and fostering substantive and long-term cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

He congratulated President Ramaphosa on his successful meetings with President Lương Cường and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and expressed appreciation upon learning that the South African leader had paid tribute at the Mausoleum of President Hồ Chí Minh and visited the family of General Võ Nguyên Giáp.

Chairman Mẫn commended the remarkable achievements of the South African people in building a harmonious and prosperous nation and voiced confidence that under the leadership of President Ramaphosa and the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa will continue to assert its role as a leading economy and influential voice both on the continent and globally.

He also congratulated South Africa, as the G20 Chair, on the successful organisation of the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speaker’ Summit held earlier this month in Cape Town, which helped advance inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue for sustainable development and the narrowing of global development gaps.

The NA Chairman suggested that the two sides continue to strengthen delegation exchanges, particularly between the specialised committees of the two legislatures, and promote expert exchanges. He proposed that the two parliaments soon sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation.

Chairman Mẫn invited representatives of the South African Parliament to participate in upcoming legislative workshops hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly, expressing his hope that the two legislatures’ cooperation will become a model for parliaments of the Global South in jointly addressing global challenges.

On this occasion, he also called for stronger coordination and mutual support between the two parliaments, as well as more bilateral meetings on the sidelines of multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and other Global South parliamentary groups, to safeguard the shared interests of developing nations.

For his part, President Ramaphosa recalled the fruitful outcomes of Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman Vũ Hồng Thanh’s working visit to the South African Parliament in July 2025 and the growing exchanges between the two legislative bodies.

The South African President welcomed the positive development of bilateral parliamentary relations, emphasising that strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation plays a crucial role in experience-sharing and in building the rule of law in each country.

He reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation, including between their legislatures, in a manner that reflects the strong political relations and stature of both nations. He added that once Việt Nam and South Africa officially elevate their ties to a Strategic Partnership, the role of the two legislatures will be essential in ensuring the effective implementation of cooperation agreements.

As part of his visit to the Vietnamese National Assembly, President Ramaphosa attended the 10th session of the 15th-tenure NA and toured the NA Museum. — VNS