Việt Nam, Senegal strengthen economic ties at policy dialogue

NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn suggested the two parliaments enhance support for Vietnamese investors in Senegal, while encouraging Senegalese enterprises to explore opportunities in Việt Nam.

Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and President of the Senegalese National Assembly El Malick Ndiaye attended a policy dialogue in Dakar on July 23 (local time), aiming at strengthening economic – trade – investment ties between the two countries.

The event took place as part of the Vietnamese top legislator’s official visit to the African country.

NA Chairman Mẫn highlighted the substantial potential for cooperation between the two nations in the areas of agriculture, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, mining, aquaculture, and construction.

Briefing participants on his successful talks with NA President Ndiaye, the Vietnamese chief legislator noted his hope that the meeting outcomes will help deepen the friendship between the two countries, particularly between their legislatures, and pave the way for broader cooperation for both nations’ development and prosperity.

Mẫn suggested the two parliaments enhance support for Vietnamese investors in Senegal, while encouraging Senegalese enterprises to explore opportunities in Việt Nam. He affirmed that the Vietnamese NA stands ready to support Senegalese firms to make investments in Việt Nam across all sectors.

The top legislator expressed his hope that the agreements signed between ministries, sectors, enterprises, and corporations from both countries will be realised soon through specific cooperation programmes.

The Vietnamese NA and Government are prepared to create all necessary legal conditions to facilitate meetings between businesses of both sides to effectively implement the agreements and trade investment projects.

NA President Ndiaye, for his part, underscored the significance of the event, calling it a milestone in the partnership between the two nations. Though geographically distant, Việt Nam and Senegal are connected by an invisible yet powerful bond, with NA Chairman Mẫn’s visit breathing a new life into parliamentary diplomacy.

The host leader laid stress on the strategic role both legislative bodies play in building robust bridges between their economies through the creation of a favourable legal framework for business and investment, close oversight of the Governments’ activities, and support for reforms to enhance national competitiveness.

Bilateral trade shows promising development prospects this year, with Việt Nam being a strategic trading partner of Senegal, particularly in agriculture, he said, adding Senegal is currently sourcing 10 per cent of its rice imports from Việt Nam while selling cashews, seafood, fish meal, and livestock feed to the Southeast Asian nation.

Calling for deeper co-operation, the leader said the dialogue offered an opportunity to discuss public policy, legal frameworks, and investment prospects in agriculture, trade, and agro-processing industries. He also praised Việt Nam’s dynamic industrialisation as a source of inspiration for many countries in the Global South, including Senegal.

At the event, participants discussed investment opportunities as well as new ways for cooperation in the coming time.

Phạm Ngọc Mầu, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said Việt Nam has carried out numerous projects in developing countries, aiming to transfer agricultural science-technology, helping these nations advance their agricultural sectors, ensure food security, and move toward exports.

Việt Nam can support African nations in developing agricultural projects, drafting comprehensive land-use master plans, and conducting detailed land zoning, he said, adding Việt Nam is willing to cooperate in agricultural science-technology research, and to organise training courses - either in Việt Nam or on-site - to enhance the capacity of agricultural extension personnel, managers, and policy makers.

Representatives from Senegalese ministries, agencies, and businesses expressed a strong desire to deepen cooperation with Việt Nam in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, processing industries, renewable energy, and information technology.

To unlock the full co-operation potential, the delegates emphasised the need to enhance information exchange and business-to-business connectivity.

They suggested both governments adopt supportive policies on capital, technology, and market access for small and medium-sized enterprises, while also promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, explaining that mutual understanding of each other’s cultures and people will serve as a lasting bridge for long-term economic collaboration.