Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung (right) and Révérien Ndikuriyo, Secretary General of the Burundi’s CNDD–FDD Party. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — Politburo member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung held talks with Secretary General of Burundi’s National Council for the Defence of Democracy–Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) Révérien Ndikuriyo in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Ndikuriyo is leading a high-ranking CNDD-FDD delegation on an official visit to Việt Nam from July 27 to 31.

At the event, Trung expressed his pleasure at meeting Ndikuriyo again and highlighted the significance of the visit, which is the first by a leader of an African political party to Việt Nam since the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV).

He briefed the guest on Việt Nam's socio-economic achievements after 40 years of "Đổi mới" (Renewal) and underscored that the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as diversification and multilateralisation of external relations, as outlined at the 14th National Party Congress, identifies Party diplomacy as an important pillar in building a strong foundation of political trust and consolidating bilateral relations.

Accordingly, friendship with African political parties, including the CNDD-FDD, provides a political basis for deepening substantive cooperation between Việt Nam and Burundi.

Speaking highly of Burundi’s achievements under the leadership of the CNDD-FDD, Trung said the two countries should strengthen solidarity and play a greater role in maintaining peace and stability in their respective regions and globally, thereby creating favourable conditions for achieving their development goals.

He proposed the two Parties develop specific cooperation plans, step up exchanges and training for officials, share experiences and encourage interactions between their affiliated socio-political organisations.

For his part, Ndikuriyo conveyed greetings from President of Burundi and CNDD-FDD President Évariste Ndayishimiye to Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and other Vietnamese Party and State leaders.

Affirming that Việt Nam serves as a development model for African countries, he said his visit demonstrates the CNDD-FDD’s determination to consolidate and deepen trust between the two ruling parties.

He also expressed his hope that Việt Nam will expand its presence and make greater practical contributions to peace, stability and development in Africa.

The two sides welcomed positive progress in bilateral economic cooperation, particularly since the visit to Việt Nam by the Burundian President in April 2025. They highlighted the success of Lumitel, the telecommunications joint venture of Việt Nam's Viettel Group in Burundi, which has become a leading foreign-invested enterprise and made significant contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.

The two sides agreed to further promote the ruling Parties’ guiding role in expanding and elevating cooperation in areas of mutual strength and interest, including investment, telecommunications, agriculture and energy. They also reached a consensus on the importance of encouraging relevant ministries and agencies to negotiate, sign and implement cooperation agreements, thereby improving the legal framework and facilitating bilateral collaboration.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, both sides agreed to uphold their tradition of solidarity, strengthen coordination and support each other’s positions at multilateral forums.

Burundi affirmed its support for and readiness to assist Việt Nam in strengthening cooperation with the African Union Commission and participating in specific initiatives and cooperation programmes of the union.

Regarding the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, Trung called on Burundi to support ASEAN’s stance on the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and ASEAN’s efforts to build the East Sea into a sea of peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

On the occasion, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the CPV and the CNDD-FDD, creating a framework for exchanges and cooperation in the coming time. — VNA/VNS