From March 25-29, the delegation led by Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam Nguyen Kim Son visited and participated in the 7th session of the of Vietnam-Angola Intergovernmental Committee in Luanda, Angola.

During his working visit in Luanda, Minister Nguyen Kim Son had a courtesy meeting with Vice President of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) Luísa Damião, Permanent Vice President of the Angolan National Assembly Américo António Cuononoca; discussed with Minister of Planning Victor Hugo Guilherme, Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Maria do Rosário Bragança, Minister of Health Sílvia Lutucuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs Téte António; visited Agostinho Neto University, the Vietnamese Embassy in Angola; met the business community and Vietnamese expatriates in Angola.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son had a courtesy meeting with the Vice President of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola - MPLA Luísa Damião. (Photo: TGVN)

At the meetings and working sessions, the Angolan side assessed that this working visit to Angola led by Minister Nguyen Kim Son demonstrated the good relationship between the two countries, marking an important milestone in promoting relations and cooperation between Vietnam – Angola.

Angolan side expressed their deep gratitude for Vietnam's early recognition of Angola right after the country seized its independence on November 11, 1975, as well as Vietnam’s timely provision of valuable support, especially the dispatch of Vietnamese experts in education and healthcare to Angola.

The African nation hopes that Vietnam will continue to support in human resource training, experiences sharing in educational management, response to climate change, hunger and poverty reduction, etc.

Besides traditional areas of cooperation such as education and healthcare, Angola emphasized cooperation in agriculture, a field in which Vietnam has many strengths and Angola also has a lot of potential.

Angola confirmed to welcome, provide necessary information and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese investors, especially in the fields of agriculture and medicine.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son shared some outstanding achievements that Vietnam has accomplished after nearly 40 years of reform, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Minister Son affirmed that Vietnam valued ​​and wished to further develop relations and cooperation with Angola, emphasizing that the two sides continue to consolidate and strengthen cooperation in many fields in the coming time, namely in economics, investment, agriculture, education, healthcare, science and technology, etc.

He suggested that Angolan authorities provide more specific requests in human resources training and experts dispatch to soon report to the Vietnamese Government for consideration.

Son requested that the MPLA Party, Government, and National Assembly of Angola continue to pay much attention, protect legitimate rights and interests, and support the Vietnamese community in Angola. The Minister affirmed that he would inform the Vietnamese businesses about investment opportunities in Angola.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son had a courtesy meeting with the Permanent Vice President of the Angolan National Assembly Américo António Cuononoca. (Photo: TGVN)

On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Minister Nguyen Kim Son thanked the ruling party and the Government of Angola for supporting Vietnam in establishing official relations with the African Union as an observer, and at the same time expressed his hope that Vietnam would be a bridge between Angola, African countries, and ASEAN countries.

On March 28, Minister Nguyen Kim Son and the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Angola. Recognizing the efforts of the officers and staff, the Minister emphasized the significance of Angola in Vietnam's foreign policy, requesting the Embassy to consolidate and strengthen cooperation in various fields with this traditional partner.

He hoped that the Embassy would continue to pay attention and take care of the Vietnamese community in Angola, and provide full and timely information about the host country's market and policies to support Vietnamese businesses in Angola as well as domestic businesses that want to seek investment opportunities in Angola.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son and the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Angola. (Photo: TGVN)

Also, on the afternoon of March 28, Minister Nguyen Kim Son and the delegation had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese business community and Vietnamese expatriates in Angola.

President of the campaign committee for the establishment of the Vietnamese Businessmen Association in Angola Phung Dac Minh Chau reported to the Minister about the situation of Vietnamese people in Angola as well as the process of establishing the Vietnamese Businessmen Association in Angola; affirmed that Vietnamese Businessmen in Angola are ready to support domestic businesses come to Angola to explore investment opportunities and expand markets.

The Minister informed Vietnamese compatriots about some key features of the country's situation, gave quick information about the good results of the 7th session of the Vietnam-Angola Intergovernmental Committee, and emphasized that the Party and State always pay a lot of attention and support to the overseas Vietnamese community.

Appreciating the efforts of the Vietnamese community in Angola in contributing to the homeland and to the socio-economic development of Angola, Minister Son said that during working sessions, senior leaders of the Party, Government, National Assembly, and Angolan ministers all expressed their desire to strengthen multi-faceted cooperation with Vietnam, which is a favorable opportunity for Vietnamese business community in Angola. At the same time, he emphasized that the Intergovernmental Committee is ready to receive requests and proposals from the Vietnamese business community in Angola.

Earlier on the same day, in Luanda took place the 7th session of the Vietnam-Angola Intergovernmental Committee.

The session is co-chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation of Angola Maria do Rosário Bragança.

The session was attended by the Vietnamese Ambassador to Angola Duong Chinh Chuc, Angolan Ambassador to Vietnam Agostinho Fernandes and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade, Public Security, and several higher education institutions and businesses.

At the meeting, Minister Nguyen Kim Son announced some key features of Vietnam's socio-economic development situation, affirming that although Vietnam and Angola are geographically far apart, the two countries are always connected by their historical similarities, the same desire for peace, national independence, and building a prosperous and happy country.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son worked with Angolan Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Maria do Rosário Bragança. (Photo: TGVN)

According to Son, this meeting was held after a 10-year and is considered a concrete demonstration of the efforts of the two sides to promote multifaceted cooperation.

Thank the Government of Angola for supporting Vietnam in establishing official relations with the African Union as an observer, and for supporting Vietnam's candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term and the Commission on Limits of Continental Shelf for the 2023-2028 term, the Minister congratulated the political, economic, cultural and social achievements that the Angolan people have achieved in recent times.

Regarding bilateral cooperation, Minister Nguyen Kim Son assessed that although the two sides have made many efforts, the results of cooperation are still modest and not commensurate with the good friendship and potential of the two countries. Accordingly, he proposed that both sides need to cooperate closely and have appropriate solutions to develop bilateral cooperation more effectively and substantially in the fields of trade and investment, finance and banking, industry, agriculture, oil and gas, security and public order, national defense, healthcare, education, higher education, science and technology, etc.

Relevant ministries and branches jointly research and discuss in detail draft cooperation agreements in fields of industry, public services and territorial planning, trade and seaports, air transportation, television, and criminal justice assistance to clearly identify potential cooperation contents that both sides are interested in and proceed to sign a cooperation agreement at an appropriate time.

Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation of Angola Maria do Rosário Bragança reviewed some key features of the strong traditional and historical relationship between the two countries; evaluating that the 7th session took place on a historic path.

Thanking Vietnam for supporting Angola in many aspects in recent times, Minister Maria do Rosário Bragança emphasized that the 19 cooperation documents and many agreements the two sides have signed recently and are currently negotiating are the important basis for the two sides to promote bilateral cooperation.

Minister Maria said that the Angolan Government is focusing on diversifying the economy and increasing the attraction of foreign direct investment. She affirmed Angola’s intention to consult Vietnam's experience and promote extensive cooperation with Vietnam to diversify the economy, especially in the fields of industry, tourism, mining, healthcare, education, agriculture, sports, and housing.

In the spirit of high consensus, the two Ministers signed the Minutes of the 7th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation between the two Governments.

The two sides signed the Minutes of the 7th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of Angola. (Photo: TGVN)

Accordingly, both sides agreed to strengthen traditional areas of cooperation such as politics, diplomacy, security, healthcare, education, and agriculture; as well as open up new cooperation directions in areas such as defense, justice, telecommunications and television and local cooperation.

The two sides agreed to jointly create specific proposals and plans to make cooperative activities effective and substantive; resume sending Angolan students to study in Vietnam under the scholarship program; and continue to promote cooperation in education and healthcare, including sending Vietnamese experts to Angola.

The two Ministers agreed to promote the import and export of strong products of both sides such as rice, machinery, agricultural equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies, and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese and Angolan businesses.

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