Hanoi (VNA) - Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and his spouse’s official visit to Vietnam from September 5 to 8, made at the invitation of Party General Secretary and President To Lam and his spouse, marks the first-ever visit to Vietnam by a president of the West African nation since the establishment of the sides’ diplomatic relations.

Vietnam and Guinea-Bissau set up diplomatic ties on September 30, 1973, shortly after the latter declared independence.

Vietnam's foreign policy has always emphasised the importance of traditional friendships and a wish to develop multifaceted cooperation with African nations, including Guinea-Bissau. This serves as a crucial foundation for the two countries to build political trust and foster cooperation serving mutual development.

Regarding Vietnam as a priority partner in its foreign policy, the Government of Guinea-Bissau is willing to expand practical and effective collaboration across all fields in the years to come.

In bilateral exchanges, both sides agreed to enhance interactions and exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly high-level visits by their leaders. In July this year, Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Guinea-Bissau Nancy Raisa Cardoso visited Vietnam and paid respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at his state funeral.

Currently, trade is the main area of bilateral economic cooperation. Vietnam is Guinea-Bissau's third-largest export market, while the latter has been one of the former’s top five suppliers of raw cashew nuts from Africa for many years. In 2023, their total bilateral trade turnover neared 170 million USD, with Vietnam mainly exporting rice and textiles and importing raw cashew nuts.

The two countries signed an agreement on cultural, economic, scientific, technical, and trade cooperation in 1994 and a memorandum of understanding on trade and industrial cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Guinea-Bissau ministry for trade, industry, and promotion of local products a decade later.

Moving forward, the sides have agreed to strengthen delegation exchanges, coordinate to support each other at international forums, and to enhance cooperation with regional organisations such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Additionally, they aim to enhance the sharing of experiences in socio-economic development and policy-making.

To boost economic and trade ties, both sides have agreed to promote the exchange of information and cooperation opportunities, and business connectivity, while strengthening key trade items like cashew nuts and expanding into other potential goods such as farm produce and textiles. They have also concurred to sign bilateral cooperation documents in agriculture, seaports, and trade, among others.

ꦛ Vietnam is ready to support Guinea-Bissau in agricultural development through bilateral or trilateral projects, gradually helping the country ensure and achieve food security self-sufficiency./.