Côte d’Ivoire top legislator starts official visit to Vietnam

President of the Côte d’Ivoire's National Assembly Adama Bictogo (Photo: Africa Press)

President of Côte d’Ivoire's National Assembly Adama Bictogo arrived in Hanoi on June 13 afternoon, beginning his official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

The is the first visit by a high-ranking leader of the West African country to the Southeast Asian nation since the two set up their diplomatic ties 48 years ago.

During his stay until June 16, Adama Bictogo will pay a courtesy visit to President Vo Van Thuong; meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; hold talks with NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue; and have working sessions with representatives from several ministries, sectors, and localities of Vietnam.

He will also lay wreaths at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs, and visit President Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house in the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.

Adama Bictogo’s visit will mark a new development step for the long-standing friendship between the two countries. It is expected to further promote multi-faceted cooperation, including politics, diplomacy, economy, trade and investment, labour, and people-to-people exchange between the two nations.

The two countries’ leaders will seek ways to facilitate the Vietnamese community in Côte d’Ivoire, have specific guidelines and measures to protect legitimate rights and interests, and ensure a safe and secure environment for Vietnamese people living in the West African country.

Regarding parliamentary collaboration, the two sides will exchange views on how to further strengthen cooperation in parliamentary diplomacy, step up delegation exchanges, and share experience in organising related activities.

Vietnam and Côte d’Ivoire signed many cooperation documents such as a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries in May 2014, and an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders on April 18, 2017.

The two nations have regularly coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the International Organisation of the Francophonie.

Since 2015, bilateral trade has increased rapidly. Côte d’Ivoire is Vietnam's second largest trade partner in Africa and Vietnam's fourth largest export market in the continent with a turnover of 1.04 billion USD in 2022.

The Vietnamese community in Côte d’Ivoire has about 300 people, of whom 50% are permanent residents. There are nearly 1,000 small traders trading cashew nuts between the two countries./.