Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb at the official talks in Algiers on November 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

ALGIERS — Việt Nam and Algeria agreed today to lift their relations to a Strategic Partnership and pledged to further boost all-round cooperation based on their traditional friendship, following Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s official talks with his Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb in Algiers.

In their meeting, PM Chính expressed his pleasure at visiting Algeria in the historic month of November, which marked the start of the Algerian people’s struggle for independence on November 1, 1954. He thanked the Algerian PM, Government and people for their warm and respectful welcome.

He affirmed that Việt Nam, throughout more than six decades of friendly cooperation, has always remembered Algeria’s support during Việt Nam’s struggle for national liberation and in the country’s current development efforts.

PM Chính said he was moved and proud that the Algerian people hold a special affection for Việt Nam and President Hồ Chí Minh, whose name features on two major boulevards in the cities of Algiers and Oran.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb at the private talks prior to official talks in Algiers on November 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

He conveyed the greetings and congratulations of General Secretary Tô Lâm and other Vietnamese leaders to the newly appointed Algerian PM.

During their talks, PM Sifi Ghrieb praised President Hồ Chí Minh and Việt Nam’s heroic history. He said Việt Nam had been a source of inspiration for Algeria’s own independence revolution, adding that the visit marked a defining moment in bilateral relations.

The two leaders shared their pride in the shared history of struggle for independence, which they said had served as an example and encouragement for revolutionary movements worldwide. That legacy, they agreed, formed the foundation for the two countries to overcome present and future challenges and build strong nations.

PM Ghrieb welcomed the strong development of bilateral ties across multiple areas, meeting the aspirations of both governments and peoples. Given the exceptional nature of Việt Nam–Algeria relations and their complementary strengths, he said economic and trade cooperation and business-to-business engagement were ripe with opportunity. Algeria stood ready to facilitate Vietnamese enterprises and served as a gateway for expanding cooperation with Africa.

The two sides exchanged updates on domestic developments and discussed orientations and specific measures to advance traditional friendship and cooperation in the coming time as well as international and regional issues of shared concern.

PM Ghrieb reaffirmed the Algerian Government’s commitment under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to nurturing the historical relationship forged through the two nations’ shared struggle for independence.

PM Chính congratulated Algeria on its achievements in building a “New Algeria,” developing comprehensively in economic, cultural and social fields and enhancing its role on the global stage. He stressed that Việt Nam treasures its traditional friendship and the brotherly bond between the two countries.

On that basis, the two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. They pledged to enhance high-level exchanges and strengthen political trust to broaden cooperation across multiple sectors through existing mechanisms.

PM Chính proposed a series of measures to deepen bilateral ties. In the current context, he said, the two countries must “stand united for strength, cooperate for mutual benefit, and engage in dialogue for trust,” guided by the principle of “listening together, understanding together, trusting together, acting together, and developing together” to create breakthroughs in relations.

He called for tightened political trust, more exchanges of high-level delegations, and prioritisation of each other within their respective foreign policies.

PM Chính asked Algeria to continue supporting PetroVietnam in expanding its investment and ensuring stable, effective operations, turning it into a flagship example of bilateral cooperation. He also urged stronger investment links, market access for each country’s key products, balanced trade, and Algerian support for Vietnamese enterprises in digital transformation and telecommunications cooperation.

He proposed boosting cooperation in defence and security as a new pillar of ties, including participation in each other’s defence exhibitions and collaboration on cybersecurity as well as strengthening cooperation in agriculture.

Both sides agreed to expand cultural and educational exchanges to promote historical understanding and strengthen solidarity and mutual understanding between younger generations. PM Chính asked Algeria to facilitate the Vietnamese community living in the country.

He also suggested setting up joint subcommittees on science and technology, digital transformation, health, education, labour and other specialised fields and encouraging enterprises to cooperate through concrete and effective projects. He requested Algeria’s support for Việt Nam in strengthening ties with regional organisations and member states such as the African Union and the Arab League.

View of the official talks between the Vietnamese and Algerian Prime Ministers. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

The two sides agreed to continue supporting each other at multilateral forums to which both are members, particularly the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, and to work together to promote South–South cooperation, enhance the role of developing countries, and strengthen collaboration in science, technology and digital transformation.

On international solidarity and adherence to international law and the UN Charter, Prime Minister Chính said Việt Nam is ready to contribute to global peacekeeping efforts. On the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, he asked Algeria to support ASEAN’s stance and the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Algerian leader welcomed the proposals and committed to directing Algerian ministries and agencies to work closely with Việt Nam to implement the agreed cooperation plans.

PM Chính, on the occasion, invited PM Ghrieb to pay an official visit to Việt Nam.

Following the talks, the two Prime Ministers adopted a Joint Statement upgrading relations to a Strategic Partnership and witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents, including:

• Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee on economic, scientific and technical cooperation
• MoU on housing and urban planning
• Appendix to the Protocol on overall debt settlement
• Agreement on education cooperation
• MoU between VCCI and the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Letter of Intent between Việt Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion on launching talks for a pilot preferential trade agreement

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion on promoting the start of negotiations on a pilot bilateral preferential trade agreement, following their talks in Algiers. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Algerian counterpart Sifi Ghrieb at the official talks in Algiers on November 19. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang