Deputy FM Nguyen Minh Hang: PM's trip to deepen strategic cooperation with Kuwait, Algeria, South Africa and contribute at G20 Summit
WVR - On the afternoon of November 14, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang gave a press interview ahead of the Prime Minister's official visit to Kuwait and Algeria and participation in the G20 Summit in South Africa.
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| Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang gives a press interview ahead of the Prime Minister's official visit to Kuwait and Algeria and participation in the G20 Summit in South Africa. (Photo: WVR) |
Could you please elaborate on the significance and objectives of the Prime Minister's trip to attend the G20 Summit and bilateral activities in South Africa, as well as the official visits to Kuwait and Algeria?
At the invitation of Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Sifi Ghrieb, and President of the Republic of South Africa, the Chair of the G20 in 2025, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, along with his spouse and a high-level Vietnamese delegation, will officially visit Kuwait and Algeria, attend the G20 Summit, and engage in bilateral activities in South Africa from November 16 to 24, 2025.
Following a series of vibrant high-level foreign activities by the Party and State leaders recently, the Prime Minister's trip holds significant importance both bilaterally and multilaterally. It aims to effectively and consistently implement our independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy.
South Africa is the largest economy in Africa, currently serving as the Chair of the G20 in 2025 and a key member of the BRICS group.
Algeria is one of Vietnam's most profound partners in the region and is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.
Kuwait holds the Chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2025.
Bilaterally, Vietnam enjoys strong cooperative friendships with Kuwait, Algeria, and South Africa. Currently, relations between Vietnam and these three countries are developing more effectively and substantively. Vietnam and all three countries are in a "new position" on their development paths. The Middle East and African countries view Vietnam as a model of success in innovation and development, contributing positively and responsibly to the international community. This forms a crucial foundation for increasing political trust and sharing common values between us and the countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Accordingly, the Prime Minister's trip carries an important message that Vietnam highly values developing relations with partners and the region, promising to open a new phase of strategic, profound, and substantive cooperation.
The trip is also an opportunity for us to strengthen connections with three strategic regional destinations, thereby not only elevating and deepening relations between Vietnam and the three countries but also contributing to shaping a new future and vision between Vietnam and the Middle East and Africa region based on trust, sustainability, and a shared prosperous future.
On the multilateral front, this is the second consecutive year Vietnam has been invited to attend the Summit of the Group of 20 leading economies. This strongly affirms Vietnam's growing prestige, position, and role, as well as the recognition and high appreciation from partners, especially the G20, for Vietnam's development achievements and substantial, responsible contributions to global issues. Attending this Summit is an opportunity for Vietnam to reaffirm its consistent foreign policy as a reliable partner of the international community, ready to join hands in addressing global issues with mutual respect and understanding, contributing to the common development of humanity.
From the needs and practical experiences of a developing, transitioning, high-growth, independent, and deeply integrated economy, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính will share important insights, assessments, and proposals to contribute with other countries to building a fair, inclusive, and sustainable international economic order and global economic governance system.
Within the framework of the Summit, the Prime Minister will engage in numerous bilateral meetings with leaders of other countries and international organizations to promote cooperation in strategic areas for Vietnam such as green transition, digital transformation, innovation, strategic infrastructure development, and high-quality human resource development, thereby maximizing international resources to serve the country's development goals.
What specific areas of cooperation does Vietnam wish to enhance with South Africa, Algeria, and Kuwait? And what initiatives and contributions will Vietnam bring to the G20 Summit?
Firstly, it is important to affirm that based on the foundation of traditional friendship and solid political trust, with strategic and important resolutions from the Politburo, relations between Vietnam and South Africa, Algeria, and Kuwait are positively developing across many fields, achieving substantial and comprehensive results.
We all know South Africa is Vietnam's priority partner for cooperation and development in Africa; Kuwait was the first country in the GCC to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1976; Algeria is a traditional partner and a loyal friend of Vietnam for 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, always warmly supporting Vietnam in its reconstruction and nation-building efforts.
Politically, Vietnam and these countries have built a solid foundation of relations and established strong political trust, laying the groundwork for future bilateral development. Cooperation on multilateral forums on international and regional issues of mutual concern is continuously strengthened and enhanced.
In terms of economy, trade, and investment, South Africa, Kuwait, and Algeria are major trade partners with significant potential for Vietnam in the Middle East and Africa. Specifically, South Africa is Vietnam's largest trade partner in Africa; Kuwait is a leading trade partner of Vietnam in the Middle East, an important ODA partner, and an energy partner; Algeria is a major potential partner with an effective investment model in the Bir Seba oil project by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Corporation (PVEP) in Algeria. Cooperation in other areas such as defense, security, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation is achieving notable accomplishments.
On the foundation of good political and diplomatic relations, we are confident that the Prime Minister's trip will elevate Vietnam's relations with these countries to new heights, achieving specific and practical cooperation results in areas such as trade, investment, industry, minerals, logistics, green supply chains, and innovation with South Africa; expanding cooperation in energy, investment, trade, processing industry, smart agriculture, education, and training with Algeria; and with Kuwait, strengthening connections in finance, trade, investment, energy, green infrastructure, food security, ODA, and Halal industry.
We aim to establish priority corridors for the smooth flow of capital, technology, goods, and human resources, opening new cooperation opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in key areas. Alongside this, we will also promote people-to-people exchanges, cultural cooperation, education, labor, tourism, and strengthen the connection of the Vietnamese community in the three countries with the host countries as well as with the homeland, contributing practically to bilateral relations.
At the G20 Summit, as a Guest of the G20 Chair South Africa, the Prime Minister will share policy messages, focusing on several key important areas to contribute to efforts to promote global economic growth, mitigate risks, and enhance cooperation in strategic fields such as minerals, energy, reforming the global trade, finance, and investment systems during the current phase of reshaping and building global rules and regulations.
Through these messages, initiatives, and specific proposals, the international community will gain a clearer understanding of a Vietnam determined to innovate and enter a new era of development; a Vietnam that has been, is, and will continue to be a reliable partner, increasingly proactive, positive, responsible, and striving for peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development for humanity.
