Accra (VNA) – Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang paid a working trip to Ghana from
April 16-17 and met with several high-ranking Ghanaian officials to discuss
strengthening bilateral relations.
Hang held
talks with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Kwaku
Ampratwum Sarpong, met with Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong,
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, and
President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Clement Osei
Amoako.
Both sides spoke highly of the positive
results achieved in bilateral friendship and cooperation, particularly in economy.
Ghana is now Vietnam’s largest trade partner in West Africa, with two-way
trade of 733 million USD in 2023.
Hang affirmed that Vietnam always values its
cooperation with traditional African countries, including Ghana. She expressed wish
to continue deepening bilateral relations in the coming time, especially in
economy, in the lead-up to the 60th anniversary of bilateral
diplomatic ties in 2025.
At the talks, both deputy FMs reached consensus
on specific measures to boost bilateral ties across politics, diplomacy,
economy, trade, investment, agriculture and education. They include increasing
the exchange of delegations at all levels, offering mutual support at important
global and regional forums such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union
(AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
They also discussed advancing negotiations
towards signing bilateral cooperation agreements, and enhancing coordination between
the two foreign ministries and relevant agencies to foster multifaceted collaboration.
Expressing admiration for the success
of Vietnam’s economic development model, Sarpong said Ghana is deploying ambitious
national economic development strategies, which are expected to open up
numerous cooperation opportunities in the future. This is particularly
advantageous for Vietnamese firms that are looking to leverage Ghana’s gateway
role to enter the West African and broader African markets.
On the
economic front, both parties agreed to
encourage firms to foster the exchange of information and investment
opportunities, facilitate the continued trade of key export commodities,
particularly rice and cashew nuts, while also expanding to other items.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana wished
that Vietnam would share its experience with and assist Ghana in rice production,
thereby raising the value of agricultural products and ultimately ensuring
national food security.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry noted
that Vietnam’s rice is very popular in Ghana due to its taste and quality,
affirming readiness to help Vietnamese enterprises produce it in Ghana.
In reply, Deputy Foreign Minister Hang expressed a belief that with the strength and dynamic
development of the two economies, the bilateral relationship will continue growing even more robustly in the future./.
