Hanoi, October 24, 2025 — The Europe Today: Vietnamese President Lương Cường and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday agreed to work toward elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2025, reaffirming their commitment to deepening political trust and expanding cooperation in the economic, defence, and development sectors.
The two leaders held official talks in Hanoi during President Ramaphosa’s visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of President Cường.
Welcoming his South African counterpart’s return visit, President Cường congratulated South Africa on its achievements under the Government of National Unity and expressed confidence in its successful chairmanship of the G20 Summit in 2025—the first ever to be held in Africa. He praised South Africa’s growing role and influence in international affairs.
Recalling the long-standing friendship between the two nations, President Cường highlighted the shared struggles for independence and the spirit of Afro–Asian solidarity, noting that the first meeting between delegations from the Democratic Republic of Việtnam and the African National Congress (ANC) took place at the 1955 Bandung Conference. Since then, he said, relations between the two peoples have continued to flourish, with South Africa becoming Việtnam’s first African partner to establish a Partnership for Cooperation and Development framework in 2004.
Reviewing bilateral ties, President Cường emphasized that political trust has steadily strengthened, with cooperation expanding across the Party, State, parliamentary, and people-to-people levels. Economic exchanges have also grown robustly, making South Africa one of Việt Nam’s top trading partners in Africa, while the two sides continue to coordinate closely at regional and international forums.
President Ramaphosa expressed his delight at returning to Việtnam after nine years and thanked the Vietnamese side for its warm reception. He congratulated Việtnam on the 80th anniversary of its National Day and commended the country’s impressive achievements during four decades of đổi mới (renewal), particularly its sustained economic growth and rising global profile.
The South African President praised Việtnam’s leadership in hosting the United Nations Convention against Cybercrimes signing ceremony and in advancing digital transformation initiatives. He noted that the participation of senior South African ministers in his delegation reflected his country’s high regard for the long-standing friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.
Calling Việt Nam a close friend and key partner in Asia, President Ramaphosa said his visit underscored South Africa’s commitment to strengthening relations with Việtnam as part of its broader strategy to expand trade and market access amid evolving global dynamics.
During the talks, both leaders agreed to accelerate preparations to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership within 2025, a move expected to create new momentum for cooperation and contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity.
They pledged to intensify high-level exchanges and collaboration across Party, State, parliamentary, and local channels, and to enhance the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Inter-Governmental Partnership Forum, Political Consultations, Joint Trade Committee, and Defence Policy Dialogue.
On economic cooperation, both sides identified trade and investment as the key pillars of the relationship. They agreed to facilitate market access for each other’s goods and strengthen cooperation in defence, security, energy, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, peacekeeping, education, vocational training, infrastructure, and green growth.
The two countries also committed to enhancing exchanges in culture, sports, tourism, and people-to-people diplomacy, and to finalising key legal frameworks, including agreements on judicial assistance, mineral exploitation, double taxation avoidance, and visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders.
Exchanging views on regional and international issues, the two Presidents reaffirmed their shared commitment to peaceful dispute settlement in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, and to promoting peace and stability through dialogue and cooperation.
President Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa’s support for Việtnam’s candidacies at UN bodies, while President Cường expressed appreciation for South Africa’s principled stance and called for its continued support for ASEAN’s and Việtnam’s position on the East Sea (South China Sea) — upholding peace, freedom of navigation and overflight, and adherence to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The visit marked a historic step forward in the deepening of Việtnam–South Africa relations, paving the way for a stronger strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, solidarity, and shared aspirations for peace and sustainable development.
