Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held a reception for visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Hanoi on September 6^th.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) ​and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (Photo: VGP)

The Egyptian President expressed his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese people during their struggle for national liberation, and hailed the achievements as well as the role of Vietnam in the region and the world.

He briefed the Party chief on the outcomes of the talks with President Tran Dai Quang, and reiterated the political will to promote cooperation with Vietnam in all fields, particularly in economics, trade, investment, and culture exchange.

The guest also expressed his hope that Vietnam will share its experience in national development, suggesting the two sides boost high-level exchanges in the coming time.

Party General Secretary Trong said the Egyptian President’s visit to Vietnam is a historical milestone which opens up a new period of development in the traditional friendship between the two nations.

He hailed the role and status of Egypt in the Middle East – North Africa region and called on the two nations to make best use of existing cooperative mechanisms, boost delegation exchanges at all levels and coordinate with each other at international and multilateral forums in order to boost bilateral ties.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) ​and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (Photo: VNA)

On the same day, Vietnam and Egypt struck a number of cooperation agreements, witnessed by Presidents Tran Dai Quang and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi following their talks in Hanoi.

The Ministries of Industry and Trade signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing a trade and industry cooperation sub-committee, while the Ministries of Transport signed a MoU on marine transport collaboration.

A MoU was also signed between Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and Egypt’s national radio broadcaster.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism agreed to implement a tourism cooperation programme in 2017-2019 and a cultural partnership programme in 2017-2021.

A Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation was also reached by Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment and Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation; and Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment and Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation established a MoU on fishery cooperation.

Egypt has been the second largest trade partner of Vietnam in Africa, with two-way trade hitting USD 316 million in 2016. Vietnam exported seafood, automobile spare parts, fabric, black peppercorn, coffee, rubber and other consumer goods to Egypt and imported mainly chemicals, oil products, milk and dairy products and fibres./.

VNF/VNA