Vietnam's Top Legislator Embarks on Official Visit to Senegal

Strategic Insights -

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, along with his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, touched down in Dakar on July 22, kicking off a three-day official visit to the Republic of Senegal. During their stay, the delegation is expected to engage in talks, meetings, and a policy roundtable discussion on promoting bilateral cooperation in agriculture, trade, and investment. This visit marks a significant moment in strengthening the political trust and deepening the friendship between the two nations, with the aim of fostering multifaceted cooperation, including inter-parliamentary ties and legal frameworks for enhanced collaboration between governments and businesses.

Key Takeaways:

  • This is the first official visit to Senegal by a key Vietnamese leader in nearly 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
  • Vietnam and Senegal have maintained sound friendship and cooperation, with coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Francophonie, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
  • Economic cooperation has seen positive progress, with bilateral trade reaching $81.16 million in 2024, including $43.91 million worth of exports from Vietnam.
  • In the first four months of 2024 alone, Vietnam's exports to Senegal hit $43.3 million, nearly reaching the total figure in 2024.
  • Between 1997 and 2005, Vietnam sent more than 100 agricultural experts and technicians to work in Senegal under a tripartite agricultural cooperation programme sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
  • Parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and Senegal has primarily taken place through multilateral frameworks such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF).
  • During his visit, NA Chairman Man will hold talks and meetings with top Senegalese leaders, attend a policy roundtable, and meet with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and members of the Vietnamese and Vietnamese-origin community in Senegal.
  • The visit is expected to provide momentum for multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, including inter-parliamentary ties, and create legal frameworks for enhanced collaboration between the two governments and businesses.

Statistics:

  • Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Senegal reached $81.16 million in 2024.
  • Exports from Vietnam to Senegal totaled $43.91 million in 2024.
  • Vietnam's exports to Senegal hit $43.3 million in the first four months of 2024.
  • The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) sponsored a tripartite agricultural cooperation programme between Vietnam and Senegal, with over 100 experts and technicians sent to work in Senegal between 1997 and 2005.

Sources:

  • "Vietnam's top legislator begins official visit to Senegal" (exact source not provided)
  • "Vietnam, Senegal strengthen multifaceted cooperation" (exact source not provided)
  • "UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)" (exact source not provided)