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| National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Ivory Coast National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo. (Source: VNA) |
At the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo and a high-ranking delegation of the Ivory Coast National Assembly paid an official visit to Vietnam from June 13-16.
On the morning of June 14, at the National Assembly House, after the official welcoming ceremony for National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo and the delegation, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo held talks.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue warmly welcomed National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo and the high-ranking delegation of the Ivorian National Assembly on their official visit to Vietnam and congratulated Mr. Adama Bictogo on his re-election as President of the Ivorian National Assembly.
This is the highest-level delegation and the first National Assembly Chairman of Ivory Coast to visit Vietnam in 48 years, with two National Assembly Vice Chairmen attending. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two legislative bodies in particular and the two countries in general.
Expressing his good impression of Ivory Coast when he visited in November 2019 as Deputy Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue congratulated Ivory Coast on maintaining political stability and achieving many achievements in reform, recovery, and socio-economic development in recent times, under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara.
National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo respectfully thanked National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue for his warm and sincere welcome; and conveyed the regards of President Alassane Ouattara to National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and other senior leaders of Vietnam.
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| View of the meeting. (Source: VNA) |
In a sincere and open atmosphere, the two sides gave an overview of the situation in each country. President of the National Assembly Adama Bictogo said that under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara, over the past 10 years, Ivory Coast's GDP has increased by an average of more than 7% per year (during the Covid-19 pandemic, the positive growth was 2.5%). Ivory Coast is constantly striving to reduce the poverty rate, aiming for 16% by 2030. To achieve this goal, along with domestic economic development, Ivory Coast continues to innovate and open up to international integration.
Sharing that Ivory Coast is also a resilient economy, becoming one of the top 10 developing economies in Africa, National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo said that Ivory Coast exports more than 80% of cashew nuts, 70% of cotton and yarn to Vietnam and imports 40% of rice and 45% of other goods (machinery, motorbikes) from Vietnam.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue shared about Vietnam's efforts in preventing and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as well as in recovering and developing the economy and society after the pandemic.
Emphasizing that Vietnam has an increasingly important position in the international arena, National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo said that Vietnam is a model of resilience and a source of inspiration for many countries in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment.
Vietnam's economy is developing dynamically and has an impressive development process. Over the past 35 years, implementing the renovation process, Vietnam has achieved many achievements in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, achieved a high growth rate, and is in the top 20 countries attracting the most foreign direct investment (FDI) (2020).
The President of the Ivorian National Assembly suggested that the two countries' National Assemblies play a driving role, promoting the two countries to review and further promote their advantages in areas such as: Agriculture; Vietnamese enterprises can deploy cashew processing factories in Ivory Coast; create conditions for Vietnamese experts to train human resources for Ivory Coast in rice cultivation, mechanization in rice cultivation; Ivory Coast imports mechanical products from Vietnam.
Vietnam helps develop vocational training for Ivory Coast youth, especially in the fields of information technology, mechanics, and electronics. The two sides are considering and finding solutions to facilitate businessmen and people... to travel conveniently through direct flights.
Agreeing with the proposal of National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that Vietnam is ready to act as a bridge for Ivory Coast's goods to penetrate the ASEAN and Asian markets; is ready to work with Ivory Coast to increase the import of cashew nuts, cotton, cocoa, especially maintaining and developing value chain cooperation in cashew cultivation, processing, and export; promoting information activities, trade and investment promotion, strengthening connections between associations and businesses and diversifying exchanged goods; increasing the exchange of business delegations...
Ivory Coast can expand some of Vietnam’s strengths in products such as: seafood, fertilizer, textiles, footwear, household goods, construction materials, electronics, and mechanical machinery. Vietnam is ready to create favorable conditions for Ivory Coast businesses to invest and do business in Vietnam and vice versa. To do this, the two sides need to cooperate in the banking sector.
The National Assembly Chairman requested that the Ivory Coast promptly respond to the draft Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Trade Cooperation and the focal point in charge of the Bilateral Trade Agreement with Vietnam; actively negotiate and sign cooperation documents, creating legal conditions for economic, trade and investment activities.
Agreeing with National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo, who said that in the current world situation, countries need to strengthen and make efforts to overcome difficulties and cooperate for mutual development, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue suggested that the two sides continue to discuss and seek cooperation opportunities. Agriculture is a priority area of cooperation through the South-South mechanism or in coordination to propose third-party support.
On this occasion, the National Assembly Chairman thanked Ivory Coast for its attention and favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Ivory Coast and recognized the activities of the Vietnamese Association here.
The two leaders agreed that, in order to continue expanding cooperation, the legislative bodies of the two countries play the role of a driving force, a “lever” and a “catalyst”; in which the establishment of legal frameworks paves the way for new areas of cooperation. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue suggested that the two sides increase contacts and exchanges of delegations between the leaders of the National Assembly, agencies of the National Assembly and deputies of the two countries.
Along with that, the two sides exchanged experiences in law-making, perfecting institutions to serve the development of each country and experience in the operation of the Parliament/National Assembly; enhanced cooperation, urged and supervised the effective implementation of international treaties and cooperation agreements signed between the two governments; supported and enhanced connections and cooperation between businesses; created favorable conditions to support the business community as well as people of the two countries to live, invest and do business stably in each country.
During the talks, the two leaders discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue asked Côte d'Ivoire to support the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam on ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, and to resolve disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with Africa; suggested that the two sides continue to strengthen coordination within the Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) and other multilateral mechanisms (United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement). The two countries' parliaments continue to promote close coordination mechanisms at multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF)...
On this occasion, the National Assembly Chairman respectfully invited the Ivorian National Assembly to send a delegation to attend the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Hanoi next September, hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly.
Emphasizing that the visit of the Ivorian National Assembly Presidium this time is a new starting point, the two sides together build a new vision, agree on areas and focal points of cooperation, the President of the Ivorian National Assembly affirmed that he will strive to play a good role as a bridge to accelerate the cooperation contents that have just been agreed upon.
The President of the Ivory Coast National Assembly respectfully invited the President of the National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue, to pay an official visit to the Ivory Coast soon. The President of the National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue, happily accepted the invitation.
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| National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Ivory Coast National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two National Assemblies. (Source: VNA) |
After the talks, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Ivory Coast National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two National Assemblies. National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo and the delegation visited the National Assembly House.
On the same day, President of the National Assembly Adama Bictogo and the Ivory Coast National Assembly delegation laid wreaths and commemorated the heroic martyrs at Bac Son Street (Hanoi); visited Uncle Ho's stilt house in the President Ho Chi Minh relic site at the Presidential Palace.
According to the program, on the same evening, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hosted a reception for National Assembly Chairman Adama Bictogo and the Ivory Coast National Assembly delegation on an official visit to Vietnam.
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