Awarding 17 officials with merit certificates for their contributions to advancing Vietnam-Mozambique relations

The ceremony was held in accordance with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan's Decision No. 3146/QD-BNN-TCCB dated August 2, 2023, awarding 17 officials for their outstanding contributions to the 4th meeting of the Vietnam - Mozambique Intergovernmental Committee to promote cooperation between Vietnam and Mozambique. In addition, it acknowledged the preparations for the impending high-level leadership delegations of the two parties. From September 10 to 17, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will visit South Africa and Mozambique, and in October 2023, he will welcome the President of Mozambique to Vietnam.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department; Mr. Nguyen Trong Khanh, Director of the Institute of Food Plants, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Mr. Dinh Van Tuyen, Specialist/Secretary of the Office of the Ministry; Mr. Le Thanh Van, Specialist of International Cooperation Department; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thanh, Specialist of International Cooperation Department received certificates of merit.

In addition, officials and representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, and the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City were present, as well as a State Bank expert, the leader of Movitel in Mozambique, Movitel (Viettel Military Telecommunications Group), and the Vietnam Cashew Association.

Previously, under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development dispatched a working delegation led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri to co-chair with the host side to organize the 4th meeting of the Vietnam – Mozambique Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Cultural, and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, which took place in the capital city of Mozambique, Maputo.

The meeting was co-chaired by two Deputy Ministers - the Chairmen of the Subcommittees of the two countries (Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique Manuel José Goncalves).

In the presence of the two delegations, the media, and press agencies, the Minutes of the fourth meeting were solemnly signed following a discussion of the contents of the cooperation.

Within the framework of the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri carried out four side-line activities including bilateral talks with Mozambican Deputy Minister of Agriculture Olegário Banze; Meet Mozambican Minister of Seas and Fisheries Celso Ismael Correia; Meeting with Mozambican Deputy Foreign Minister Manuel José Goncalves; Visit the Vietnamese Embassy and work with Movitel telecommunications joint venture (Viettel Group holds 70% of the share capital).

Mr. Pham Ngoc Mau, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, stated that despite encountering numerous obstacles, this meeting was deemed to have exceeded all expectations.

After 9 years since the 3rd Session of the UBCLP in 2014, the two parties deepened their cooperation following the meeting, particularly in the fields of diplomacy, agriculture, and communication. In 2026, agree to hold the 5th session of the Vietnam – Mozambique Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Cultural, and Scientific-Technological Cooperation in Vietnam.

In addition, the two parties actively implemented agricultural cooperation content during this meeting. The arrangement of the meeting in Mozambique has strengthened Vietnam's position and positively impacted Vietnamese businesses investing in Mozambique, such as Viettel and a few others in the cashew processing and fisheries, construction, printing, and... industries.

Due to its economic potential, abundant resources, and large and accessible market, Mozambique is Vietnam's gateway to African nations.

The meeting has significant significance in the context of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, which has spanned 48 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975. It was convened after nearly ten years of interruption due to various causes, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic. In all domains, including trade, diplomacy, agriculture, national security and defense, and bilateral exchanges, the two countries value and seek to advance the development of deeper, more substantive, and more effective bilateral relationships.

This is a significant occasion leading up to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025.

The arrangement of the meeting in Mozambique seeks to improve Vietnam's standing and have a positive effect on Vietnamese businesses investing in Mozambique, such as Viettel and a number of other companies in the cashew processing and seafood fishing, construction, printing, etc. industries.