This marks the first State visit by a senior Vietnamese leader to Egypt in seven years, and to Angola in 17 years. The visits aim to reinforce political trust and deepen traditional friendship, thereby generating fresh momentum and opening a new phase of cooperation, particularly in the areas of economy and trade, between Viet Nam and Egypt, Angola, and other African nations.
Located in North Africa, the Arab Republic of Egypt ranks among the continent’s leading economies and is a top recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI). In 2024, Egypt’s GDP reached 380 billion USD. FDI is mainly directed towards green energy, oil and gas, real estate, manufacturing, financial services, and construction. Egypt’s key economic sectors include tourism, petroleum, textiles, agricultural processing, chemicals, and construction, with major exports such as crude oil, petroleum products, cotton, garments, machinery, chemicals, and agricultural products, while its main imports are machinery, wood products, and fuel.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1963, the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Egypt has achieved significant progress and expanded across various sectors. Bilateral ties have reached new heights through reciprocal State visits and the exchange of high-level delegations. Egypt was the first North African country to recognize Viet Nam’s full market economy status in November 2013.
Egypt is a key market for Viet Nam in the region, with bilateral trade reaching 541.36 million USD in 2024, the highest in North Africa. Of this, Viet Nam recorded a trade surplus of 472.63 million USD.
The Communist Party of Viet Nam and the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) have maintained a long-standing relationship of solidarity and traditional friendship, forged even before both nations gained independence. Following the establishment of diplomatic ties on November 12, 1975, just one day after Angola declared its independence, Viet Nam became the second country in the world to formally recognise the African nation. The two countries have since regularly coordinated and supported each other in multilateral forums, particularly within the frameworks of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. Angola officially recognised Viet Nam’s full market economy status in April 2008.
Bilateral trade between Viet Nam and Angola has seen positive developments, with total trade turnover reaching nearly 250 million USD in 2024. Viet Nam’s key exports to Angola include rice, textiles, coffee, confectionery, and cereal-based products, while its imports consist of timber, wood products, and liquefied gas. In terms of investment, as of December 2024, Angola had four investment projects in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of 118.4 million USD. Conversely, Viet Nam had four investment projects in Angola with a total registered capital of 2.98 million USD.
President Luong Cuong’s visits to Egypt and Angola reaffirm Viet Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of international relations, and proactive, comprehensive, and deep integration into the global community. The visits convey a message of a new era of national development in which Viet Nam aspires to contribute more actively and responsibly to addressing global challenges. They also reflect the respect and recognition from Egypt and Angola for Viet Nam’s growing role and position in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Egypt and Angola have both expressed their desire to deepen multifaceted cooperation with Viet Nam and expand ties with other countries and multilateral organisations in the region through Viet Nam.
President Luong Cuong’s State visits to Egypt and Angola underscore Viet Nam’s consistent policy of valuing its relationships with traditional partners in Africa. The visits aim to generate breakthroughs, elevate bilateral ties, and establish new cooperation frameworks with Egypt, while enhancing partnership with Angola. These efforts mark a new chapter in Viet Nam’s relations with both nations, promoting collaboration with two of Africa’s leading economies in ways that align with each country’s strengths, development needs, and potential, for the benefit of their peoples and for peace and development in the region and the world.
