President Cyril Ramaphosa: Vietnam State Visit Press Conference

Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the press conference during the State Visit to Vietnam, Hanoi

Programme Director,
Your Excellency President Cuong,
Members of the media,

Good afternoon,

It is a great honour to be here in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

I wish to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to President Luong Cuong, the Government and the people of Vietnam for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation.

The spirit of friendship and solidarity we have experienced here is deeply valued and reflects the strength of our bilateral relationship.

This visit takes place at a profoundly symbolic moment, as Vietnam commemorates 80 years of independence.

This is a milestone that speaks to the country’s enduring resilience and remarkable progress.

It is also a moment to reflect on the historic ties between South Africa and Vietnam, rooted in shared struggles for liberation, sovereignty and justice.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993, our partnership has grown steadily from political solidarity to multifaceted cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, education and multilateral engagement. Today, we take a decisive step forward with the commencement of a process to elevate our bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.

This reflects our shared commitment to deepening cooperation across a range of sectors.

These sectors include defence, agriculture, justice and constitutional development, mineral and petroleum resources, and biodiversity conservation.

South Africa sees Vietnam as a key partner in our export diversification strategy, and we are encouraged by the steady growth in trade and investment between our countries.

This visit forms part of a broader effort to strengthen South Africa’s engagement with Southeast Asia, a region of growing strategic importance.

Our participation in the 47th ASEAN Summit as Guest of the Chair, and our recent recognition as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, reflect our commitment to fostering inter-regional cooperation between Africa and Asia.

We are building on the legacy of the 1955 Bandung Conference, which laid the foundation for solidarity between our continents.

Vietnam plays a central role in this regional partnership, not only as a longstanding friend of South Africa, but also as a key member of ASEAN.

This visit has laid a strong foundation for a more structured and forward-looking partnership - one that delivers tangible benefits for our peoples and contributes meaningfully to regional and global development.

Together, we reaffirm our shared commitment to peace, prosperity and inclusive multilateralism.

I thank you.

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