Viet Nam, South Africa sign MoU on agricultural cooperation

On November 21 in Johannesburg (South Africa), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Cyril Ramaphosa witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation between Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and South Africa's Ministry of Agriculture. The event took place within the framework of the Vietnamese delegation's working trip to attend the G20 Summit and conduct bilateral activities in South Africa.

According to the MoU, the two sides acknowledged the potential to expand cooperation and agreed to enhance coordination in various sectors, including crop production and plant protection; livestock production and veterinary medicines; agricultural product processing; and market access for each country's key agricultural products.

The two Ministries agreed to mobilize businesses to participate in public-private partnership models to support agricultural trade and investment, strengthen linkages between enterprises and sectoral associations, exchange market information, organize business forums, and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in agriculture in South Africa as well as for South African enterprises to invest in Viet Nam.

In addition, Viet Nam and South Africa committed to close cooperation in research, development, and technology transfer, thereby contributing to boosting agricultural trade and further deepening cooperation between the business communities of both countries.

Immediately after the signing ceremony, the two Ministries held a bilateral meeting to finalize an implementation plan to promptly carry out the activities under the MoU. South Africa's delegation included Minister John Henry Steenhuisen, Deputy Minister Rosemary Nokuzola Capa, the Director-General for International Relations and Cooperation, and senior foreign affairs officials. This meeting demonstrates strong interest and goodwill on the South African side, as both the Minister and Deputy Minister welcomed and worked with the Vietnamese delegation.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep highly appreciated the close coordination efforts of the technical agencies, noting that within just three weeks after the meeting between the two Ministries in Hanoi, all contents had been discussed, agreed upon, and finalized for the signing of the MoU under the witness of the Prime Minister of Viet Nam and the President of South Africa.

For its part, South Africa's Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged the positive cooperation spirit in recent times, considering it an important foundation for effectively implementing contents of cooperation in the coming time.

The South African side proposed developing an action plan to implement the MoU, which is expected to be submitted to the competent authorities for approval next week and then sent to Viet Nam for feedback. The plan will include the establishment of a joint working group to promote the effective implementation of agreed activities. In addition, South Africa suggested holding an annual meeting, alternating between the two countries, to enhance exchanges and dialogue and ensure that cooperation is carried out substantively and continuously.

With high political determination and a constructive spirit from both sides, the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding and coordination mechanisms will create a crucial foundation for Viet Nam–South Africa agricultural cooperation to enter into a more substantive and effective phase.

Both sides expect that the MoU will deliver concrete results, contributing to boosting agricultural trade, expanding investment, and further deepening the Viet Nam–South Africa Strategic Partnership in the coming period.

Previously, on October 24, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep held a bilateral meeting with South African Minister of Agriculture John Henry Steenhuisen. The meeting took place right after the leaders of both countries decided that Viet Nam and South Africa would soon establish a Strategic Partnership within this year.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, trade turnover between Viet Nam and South Africa has been on the rise in recent years, increasing from 98.6 million USD in 2023 to 106.3 million USD in 2024. Once Viet Nam-South Africa diplomatic relations are upgraded to the level of a Strategic Partnership, it will mark an important step in deepening and expanding bilateral agricultural cooperation. This is a favorable moment to strengthen cooperation and expand both the scale and value of two-way agricultural trade.