ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President Trần Đại Quang has affirmed to Speaker of Ethiopia’s House of Federation Keria Ibrahim that Việt Nam has always attached great importance to developing its traditional friendship and all-round partnership with Ethiopia.

Meeting the head legislator in the capital Addis Ababa on August 24 as part of his first visit to the African country, the Vietnamese State leader spoke highly of Ethiopia’s success in maintaining political stability, national development, and reaching the highest economic growth rate in the continent over the past 10 years.

He asked Ethiopia’s House of Federation to support and encourage the open policies of its government, creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to seek cooperation and investment opportunities in the country, particularly in areas that play to Việt Nam’s strengths and experience, such as agriculture, trade, telecommunications, aviation, and small and medium-sized hydropower plants.

President Quang told his host that Việt Nam has already enjoyed fruitful agricultural co-operation with some African countries including Guinea, Benin, Mozambique and Angola. He suggested that the two sides consider the implementation of a tripartite partnership or the public-private partnership model in agriculture.

Việt Nam was willing to create the most welcoming conditions for Ethiopian enterprises to engage in local business and investment, the President said.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation, President Quang asked the legislative bodies of both sides to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, while coordinating with and supporting each other at international and regional forums, sharing information and legislative and supervisory experience, and enhancing their role in promoting signed agreements and deals between the two countries.

For her part, Keria Ibrahim lauded the Vietnamese leader’s visit, and was clearly impressed by the country’s rapid and stable economic growth over the past year, climbing to become the world’s leading exporter of key agricultural products such as rice and coffee.

She said she hoped that Việt Nam would share with Ethiopia its experiences in economic development, especially in areas of strength such as agriculture and aquaculture.

She said that Ethiopia, with its position as a key economic centre for Africa and a gateway to the Horn of Africa, was willing to act as a bridge for Vietnamese businesses to access other nations on the continent.

She proposed that Việt Nam re-open an embassy in Addis Ababa to strengthen bilateral cooperation, as well as affiliation between Việt Nam and the African Union.

Speaker of the House of Federation pointed to similarities between Việt Nam and Ethiopia as developing countries with young and abundant workforces, as well as a mutual determination to boost economic growth and improve the living conditions of local people.

The two leaders agreed on the need to further strengthen the collaboration between the legislative bodies of their countries, thus contributing towards enhancing their economic, trade and investment partnership to match the already sound political partnership between the two sides. The two countries should continue maintaining close coordination at multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the International Parliamentary Union (IPU).

On the occasion, President Quang conveyed National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân’s invitation to Keria Inbrahim and received her acceptance.

Earlier the same day, President Quang and his spouse visited the National Museum of Ethiopia. — VNS