Vietnam - Ethiopia celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, aiming for new cooperation breakthroughs
WVR - On the evening of June 8 in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan attended and spoke at the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Ethiopia (1976 - 2026).
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan and Ethiopian Ambassador to Vietnam Dessie Dalkie Dukamo. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
In his welcoming remarks, Ethiopian Ambassador to Vietnam Dessie Dalkie Dukamo emphasized that the anniversary is a significant milestone in the history of bilateral relations, reflecting the friendship, mutual respect, and solidarity that have been steadfastly nurtured over the past half-century.
According to the Ambassador, despite geographical distance, Vietnam and Ethiopia have always maintained a good friendship, built on shared values of national independence struggle, resilience, and development aspirations. Over the past 50 years, the two countries have continuously expanded cooperation in various fields, while closely coordinating and supporting each other at regional and international forums, contributing to strengthening the voice of developing countries on global issues.
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| Ethiopian Ambassador to Vietnam Dessie Dalkie Dukamo speaking at the ceremony. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Ambassador Dessie Dalkie Dukamo highly appreciated Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements over nearly four decades of renovation and deep international integration, viewing them as an inspiration and valuable experience for many developing countries, including Ethiopia. The Ambassador affirmed Ethiopia's desire to continue exchanging experiences with Vietnam in economic development, agriculture, processing industries, science and technology, and human resource training.
Expressing confidence in the future of bilateral relations, Ambassador Dessie Dalkie Dukamo asserted that Vietnam and Ethiopia have all the conditions to further strengthen their cooperative relationship based on political trust, common interests, and the vast potential for cooperation between the two dynamic economies in Asia and Africa, thereby contributing positively to peace, stability, and sustainable development in each region and globally.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan speaking at the ceremony. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan emphasized that the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations marks an important milestone in the half-century journey of forming and developing the friendship between the two nations and peoples. The event is even more significant as it is the first time Ethiopia has organized a large-scale diplomatic event in Hanoi, demonstrating the importance placed on the positively developing bilateral relations.
On behalf of the Government and people of Vietnam, the Deputy Minister extended congratulations to the Government and people of Ethiopia, affirming that Vietnam always values the friendship nurtured over the past 50 years between the two countries.
The Deputy Minister expressed delight at Ethiopia's outstanding socio-economic development achievements in recent times, especially the positive results from the economic reform program initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. According to the Deputy Minister, Ethiopia is emerging as one of Africa's development highlights, contributing positively to the peace, stability, and development of the region, while enhancing Africa's position and voice on the international stage.
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| Delegates taking a group photo. (Photo: Bach Duong) |
Assessing the prospects for bilateral cooperation, Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan stated that Vietnam-Ethiopia relations are entering a new phase of development with many open opportunities, especially following the historic visit of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to Vietnam in April 2025. This was the first visit by a high-ranking Ethiopian leader to Vietnam, creating a strong impetus to promote cooperation in various fields.
According to the Deputy Minister, the achievements in recent times show that the potential for cooperation between the two countries is gradually being realized. Bilateral trade turnover in 2025 increased nearly tenfold compared to the previous year; the direct flight route Hanoi - Addis Ababa was officially inaugurated, connecting Vietnam directly with the "heart of Africa" for the first time, opening up new cooperation spaces in trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Confident in the future of bilateral relations, Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan emphasized that with political determination, cooperative goodwill, and the support of both sides, Vietnam-Ethiopia relations will continue to develop strongly, becoming deeper, more substantive, and effective, for the benefit of the peoples of both countries, while contributing positively to peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia, Africa, and the world.
