Vietnam and Egypt Upgrade Ties to Comprehensive Partnership
Cairo, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam and Egypt on Tuesday officially upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership, following high-level discussions between Vietnamese President Lương Cường and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo.
The elevation of ties was formalised in a joint statement issued after a private meeting and official talks between the two heads of state, marking a significant milestone in over six decades of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
During the talks, President El-Sisi extended a warm welcome to President Cường and his spouse on behalf of the Egyptian people, stating that the Vietnamese leader’s state visit represented a pivotal moment that ushered in a new chapter of comprehensive cooperation. He expressed deep admiration for President Hồ Chí Minh and acknowledged the heroic history and socio-economic achievements of Vietnam under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. President El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening the traditional friendship and enduring brotherhood with Vietnam.
In response, President Cường expressed his pleasure at making his first state visit to Egypt, a land of ancient civilisation and cultural richness. He extended gratitude for the warm hospitality accorded by President El-Sisi, Egyptian leadership, and the Egyptian people. Recalling the long-standing affection between President Hồ Chí Minh and Egypt, he emphasised the historic ties nurtured by generations of leaders, including President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and reaffirmed Vietnam’s enduring appreciation for the bilateral relationship.
President Cường also conveyed greetings from General Secretary Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn to their Egyptian counterparts and the people of Egypt.
Both leaders reviewed the progress of bilateral ties and reaffirmed their determination to strengthen cooperation across all sectors, including politics, economy, trade, education, tourism, and culture. To reflect the evolving relationship and to meet the aspirations of their peoples, they agreed to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.
In their discussions, the two sides emphasised the importance of deepening political trust, bolstering trade and investment cooperation, and enhancing collaboration in new and emerging areas such as innovation, green transition, science and technology, and digital transformation. They also agreed to improve the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and to facilitate the conclusion of necessary procedures in line with international practices.
President Cường stated that Vietnam agreed in principle to open its market to selected Egyptian goods of interest and requested Egypt to support the access of Vietnamese products to its market. In return, President El-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s strategic location and network of free trade agreements as a potential gateway for Vietnamese exports to the Middle East and Africa. The two leaders agreed to explore establishing new trade cooperation frameworks and to form a Joint Working Group to examine the feasibility of negotiating a Vietnam–Egypt Free Trade Agreement.
Cooperation in education, people-to-people exchanges, cultural promotion, and tourism was also discussed. President Cường thanked Egypt for providing Arabic language training scholarships to Vietnamese students and called for expanded collaboration in halal industries, agriculture, and international relations. He also proposed cooperation in museum management, preservation of cultural values, and sustainable tourism.
President Cường requested Egypt’s continued support for the Vietnamese community residing in Egypt, to help them integrate and contribute positively to the host country’s development and to bilateral relations.
On regional and international issues, both leaders affirmed their shared commitment to international law and peaceful resolution of disputes. President Cường welcomed Egypt’s role in mediating regional conflicts and reiterated Việt Nam’s support for the two-state solution as the foundation for long-term peace in the Middle East. President El-Sisi appreciated Vietnam’s principled stance on the Palestinian cause.
Regarding the East Sea (South China Sea), the two sides underlined the importance of resolving disputes peacefully, in accordance with the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and emphasised the need to ensure peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.
They agreed to enhance coordination at multilateral forums, support each other’s candidacies at international organisations, and uphold shared values of peace, development, and mutual benefit.
President Cường extended a formal invitation to President El-Sisi to visit Việt Nam in the near future. The invitation was warmly accepted by the Egyptian leader.
Following the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of several key cooperation documents, including:
- A Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation between Việt Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Egypt’s Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation.
- A Memorandum of Understanding on Local Development Cooperation between Việt Nam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development.
- A Letter of Intent on Defence Cooperation between the two countries’ defence ministries.
- An MoU between Việt Nam’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Egypt’s Liaison Agency with International Organisations.
In addition, working sessions between ministries, agencies, and enterprises from both sides resulted in several agreements in sectors such as finance, agricultural trade, and oil and gas exploration, further reinforcing the expanding scope of bilateral collaboration.
The historic visit by President Lương Cường signifies a new era of strengthened strategic cooperation between Vietnam and Egypt in pursuit of shared prosperity and global peace.
