Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng at the Việt Nam-Tanzania Business Forum. — VNA/VNS Photo

DODOMA — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has said that Việt Nam always treasures and wants to expand mutually-beneficial cooperation with African countries, including Tanzania.

Deputy PM Dũng, who is on a working trip to Tanzania from July 9-12, was speaking during meetings with Tanzanian leaders.

On July 10-11, he visited the Zanzibar semi-autonomous region, paid a courtesy call on its Second Vice President Seif Ali Iddi, held a working session with Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (RPT) Philip Mangula, and attended the Việt Nam-Tanzania Business Forum.

During the meetings, the two sides informed each other about the domestic situation and spoke highly of the bilateral partnership over the past five decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties on February 14, 1965.

Dũng highly valued Tanzania’s contributions to peace, stability and cooperation connectivity in the Southern African Development Community and East African Community and the whole continent.

The Tanzanian leaders expressed admiration for Việt Nam’s struggle for national independence and reunification in the past and national development at current, considering it a source of inspiration for the Tanzanian people.

The Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania said he hoped Việt Nam would support the RPT in personnel training and economic development.

Zanzibar’s Second Vice President Iddi thanked Việt Nam for presenting 10 rice varieties to the region, and hailed the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its support in building rice development projects, the Research Institute for Oceanography and the Aquaculture Development Centre in Zanzibar.

Both sides agreed to strengthen close political ties via the exchange of all-level visits, offer mutual support at the United Nations and international forums, promote mutually-beneficial ties in trade and investment, and make it easier for the two nations’ firms to do business together.

Addressing the Việt Nam-Tanzania Business Forum, Dũng suggested tapping each other’s potential and expanding cooperation in apparel, agricultural machinery and electronic spare parts apart from traditional goods such as cashew nuts and rice.

Việt Nam is ready to serve as a bridge for Tanzanian goods to enter the ASEAN market and wants Tanzania to make it easier for Vietnamese products to penetrate into the markets of Tanzania and Eastern African nations, he said.

During the stay, the Deputy PM also visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met overseas Vietnamese living and working there. — VNS