Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam on August 24 received President of the National Assembly (NA) of Côte d’Ivoire Patrick Achi, who is on an official visit to Vietnam from August 23 to 26.
Welcoming the Côte d’Ivoire leader, General Secretary and President Lam noted that this is the first visit to Vietnam by the head of a legislative body from an African country since the beginning of the 16th-tenure parliament of Vietnam. It follows a series of significant activities held in 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Côte d’Ivoire (1975–2025).
He expressed his belief that the visit will open a new chapter in the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and their legislative bodies.
He conveyed his greetings and invitation to visit Vietnam to the President of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), Alassane Ouattara, while congratulating the Côte d’Ivoire State and people on their achievements in socio-economic development, people's improved living standards and the country's enhanced international role and stature. He also acknowledged the valuable contributions by the country's NA to these accomplishments.
Highlighting the strides of Vietnam–Côte d’Ivoire relations in recent years, General Secretary and President Lam noted that Côte d’Ivoire became Vietnam's largest African trading partner in 2025.
The two countries should further strengthen cooperation for the benefit of their peoples, contributing to their development goals as well as peace and stability in their respective regions, he suggested.
Besides increasing all-level mutual exchanges and sharing legislative experience, the leader went on, the two parliaments can play a greater bridging role in promoting bilateral relations, particularly by promoting and supervising the negotiation, signing, and implementation of cooperation agreements and commitments between the two countries.
They should also help bring the two peoples closer through greater cooperation in culture, social affairs, education and training, as well as people-to-people exchanges.
Regarding economic cooperation, General Secretary and President Lam called on the two sides to expand and diversify their import – export products beyond traditional commodities such as raw cashew nuts and rice, while seeking solutions to achieve a more balanced bilateral trade relationship.
He suggested that the two parliaments soon establish mechanisms for sharing information on new economic, trade, and investment policies and regulations of each country.
The top leader also called on Côte d’Ivoire to facilitate investment by Vietnamese businesses, particularly in areas where Vietnam has strengths such as agriculture, telecommunications, oil and gas, digital transformation, cybersecurity, mineral extraction and processing, agro-processing, civil infrastructure, seaports, urban development and electric vehicles.
For his part, Achi expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for their warm and friendly welcome, and passed along President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire’s greetings to General Secretary and President Lam.
Expressing his delight at visiting Vietnam and witnessing its impressive development achievements after four decades of Doi Moi (Renewal), Achi said Vietnam's success is a source of inspiration and a model for African countries in their nation-building and development efforts.
Briefing his host on the substantive outcomes of his talks with Vietnamese NA President Tran Thanh Man, he said Vietnam and Côte d’Ivoire share similarities in their development aspirations and conditions.
He expressed his hope that Côte d’Ivoire will become a destination for Vietnamese businesses seeking to invest and expand their markets across West Africa.
Achi also proposed that the two parliaments serve as regular forums for dialogue, mutual learning and cooperation in agriculture, processing, manufacturing, digital transformation, private investment, human resources development, and mobilisation of development finance.
On the occasion, he conveyed an invitation from President of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the RHDP Ouattara for General Secretary and President Lam to pay an early visit to Côte d’Ivoire.
The top leader of Vietnam asked the foreign ministries of the two countries to discuss and agree on a suitable time for the visit./.
