Rabat (VNA) – Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man held talks with Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives Rachid Talbi Alami in Rabat on July 25 (local time) as part of his official trip to the African country. The event was held following a red-carpet welcome ceremony for the top legislator of Vietnam.

Expressing his impression on Morocco's rich historical traditions, cultural heritage, and strategic position in North Africa, Chairman Man conveyed greetings from Party General Secretary To Lam, State President Luong Cuong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to King Mohammed VI, other leaders, and people of Morocco. He recalled the long-standing relationship between the two countries and highlighted Morocco’s solidarity with Vietnam during the latter’s struggle for national independence, evidenced by Moroccan soldiers fighting alongside the Vietnamese side as well as symbolic landmarks like the Morocco Gate Morocco Gate in Hanoi's outlying Ba Vi and the Vietnam Gate in Morocco.

The Vietnamese leader hailed the achievements in parliamentary collaboration since the signing of the cooperation agreement in 2017, including frequent exchanges of delegations, dialogues, effective activities of the parliamentary friendship groups in both countries, as well as close coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums. He expressed his hope to further consolidate the existing ties, strengthen mutual understanding, and tighten links between lawmakers, paving the way for expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields for the prosperity of both nations.

On the economic front, Chairman Man laid stress on the significant progress, with bilateral trade topping 320 million USD in the first five months of this year, higher than the value for the whole 2024. This demonstrates the untapped potential in both markets.

🍸 He asked both sides to continue market information sharing, coordinate in promoting free and sustainable trade initiatives within multilateral frameworks, connect businesses, and study possibilities for joint production and export to third markets, particularly those where each side enjoys preferential treatment from free trade agreements.

The top legislator also suggested considering negotiations for a new trade agreement and bolstering partnerships in strategic industries such as agricultural processing, fertilizer production, and renewable energy.

For his part, Speaker Alami recounted his visit to Vietnam to attend the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committee's meeting in Can Tho in January this year. He also extended Moroccan King Mohammed VI’s regards to Chairman Man and other Vietnamese leaders.

Congratulating Vietnam on its impressive socio-economic achievements and stressing the country’s important role in Morocco’s foreign policy, the host said he believes his guest’s visit will herald a new phase of cooperation between the two legislative bodies, contributing to bilateral cooperation in such priority areas as agriculture, renewable energy, climate change, phosphate, electric vehicles, textile – garment, electronic components, and tourism.

He called on the two countries to continue promoting mutually beneficial relations and serve as gateways for each other to access markets in the two regions.

The Speaker voiced his support for considering the negotiation of a new trade deal and the elevation of the cooperation framework.

Bilateral cooperation mechanisms like the Inter-Governmental Committee should be strengthened and efficiently implemented, he said, suggesting a joint mechanism be established with the participation of the two countries’ parliaments, ministries, sectors, and enterprises.

The two leaders concurred in strengthening political trust through increased exchanges of delegations at all levels, direct engagement between ministries, agencies, and enterprises, as well as reinforced multilateral cooperation, particularly within the UN and inter-regional frameworks.

They also exchanged notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern, agreeing to resolve disputes by peaceful measures, without using or threatening to use force, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

At the event, the leaders signed a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments.

ꩵ On the occasion, Chairman Man invited Speaker Alami to visit Vietnam soon, and the latter accepted with pleasure./.