Accra (VNA) – Deput♋yMinister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang paid a working trip to Ghana fromApril 16-17 and met with several high-ranking Ghanaian officials to discussstrengthening bilateral relations.

Hang heldtalks with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration KwakuAmpratwum Sarpong, met with Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong,Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, andPresident of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Clement OseiAmoako. Both sides spoke highly of the positiveresults achieved in bilateral friendship and cooperation, particularly in economy.Ghana is now Vietnam's largest trade partner in West Africa, with two-waytrade of 733 million USD in 2023. Hang affirmed that Vietnam always values itscooperation with traditional African countries, including Ghana. She expressed wishto continue deepening bilateral relations in the coming time, especially ineconomy, in the lead-up to the 60th anniversary of bilateraldiplomatic ties in 2025. At the talks, both deputy FMs reached consensuson specific measures to boost bilateral ties across politics, diplomacy,economy, trade, investment, agriculture and education. They include increasingthe exchange of delegations at all levels, offering mutual support at importantglobal and regional forums such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union(AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They also discussed advancing negotiationstowards signing bilateral cooperation agreements, and enhancing coordination betweenthe two foreign ministries and relevant agencies to foster multifaceted collaboration. Expressing admiration for the successof Vietnam's economic development model, Sarpong said Ghana is deploying ambitiousnational economic development strategies, which are expected to open upnumerous cooperation opportunities in the future. This is particularlyadvantageous for Vietnamese firms that are looking to leverage Ghana's gatewayrole to enter the West African and broader African markets. On theeconomic front, both parties agreed toencourage firms to foster the exchange of information and investmentopportunities, facilitate the continued trade of key export commodities,particularly rice and cashew nuts, while also expanding to other items. The Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana wishedthat Vietnam would share its experience with and assist Ghana in rice production,thereby raising the value of agricultural products and ultimately ensuringnational food security. The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry notedthat Vietnam's rice is very popular in Ghana due to its taste and quality,affirming readiness to help Vietnamese enterprises produce it in Ghana. In reply, Deputy Foreign Minister Hang expressed a belief that with the strength and dynamicdevelopment of the two economies, the bilateral relationship will continue growing even more robustly in the future./.