At a meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat offered his congratulations on the significant achievements the Botswana people have recorded under the leadership of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and President Khama.
Ambassador Hoang extended Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang’s invitation to visit Vietnam to President Khama, and expressed Vietnam’s wish to strengthen ties with Botswana.
The ambassador also called on the Botswana Government to recognise Vietnam’s market economy status and back Vietnam’s bid to join the UNESCO Executive Board, the UN Economic and Social Council and the UN Security Council.
Hoang updated the Botswana president on recent developments in the East Sea and measures to promote bilateral co-operation in trade, education and agriculture.
For his part, President Khama expressed his wish to visit Vietnam soon after the general election in October and hoped that Ambassador Hoang would act as a bridge to cement the friendship and co-operation between the two countries, governments and peoples.
The Botswana president also expressed his wish that Vietnam and Botswana would sign the Agreement on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Co-operation soon.
Commenting on the East Sea issue, President Khama said that China’s placement of an oil rig within Vietnamese water was very worrisome, emphasising Botswana’s stance that the use of gunboat diplomacy to intimidate small countries was no longer appropriate and that all disputes must be settled through peaceful measures in accordance with international law.
Earlier, Botswana’s Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani and Ambassador Le Huy Hoang held a meeting to discuss measures to boost political and diplomatic co-operation between the two countries.
Minister Phandu Skelemani congratulated Vietnam on its current membership of the UN Human Rights Council and promised to actively consider Vietnam’s request to endorse its bids to international organisations in the future.
He also promised to talk with Botswana’s trade minister and other relevant agencies to recognise Vietnam’s market economy status soon.
