Can Tho (VNA)🌳 – National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted a reception in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on January 21 for Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco Rachid Talbi El Alami.

The reception was within the framework of the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) Executive Committee and the Francophone Parliamentary Forum on sustainable agriculture, food security and climate change adaptation, which were hosted by the Vietnamese legislature. Chairman Man extended a warm welcome to the Moroccan delegation, acknowledging their attendance at the APF Executive Committee’s meeting and the Francophone Parliamentary Forum as a testament to the high regard Morocco holds for its relationship with Vietnam, particularly its NA. Vietnam, in its foreign policy, values its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Morocco and its role in the region and the world, he said. He congratulated Morocco on its great achievements across socio-economy and culture, especially tourism, renewable energy, automobile manufacturing, and its preparations to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Talbi El Alami, in turn, affirmed that Morocco always values its relationship with Vietnam in its foreign policy, considers Vietnam a gateway to foster cooperation with Asian nations and those in ASEAN. He thanked Vietnam for supporting Morocco’s bid to become an observer of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). Lauding Vietnam as an economic spotlight in the region and the world, he wished to continue developing increasingly effective and practical cooperatives with the Southeast Asian nation in various areas on the back of history and development similarities. Talbi El Alami shared insights into Morocco's socio-economic and diplomatic affairs, emphasising the potential for cooperation with countries worldwide, including Vietnam. He pledged Morocco's role as a bridge to bolster coordination between Vietnam and African countries. To deepen all-around cooperation between the two countries, Man suggested that both sides facilitate the exchange of delegations at all levels, those at high level; working closely at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the International Organisation of La Francophonie. Vietnam, he assured, is ready to serve as a bridge to boost relations between Morocco and ASEAN countries. Noting that two-way trade remains modest compared to the potential of both nations, he proposed promoting trade and investment, exploring opportunities and markets in each country, working closely together in such promising areas as chemicals, fertilisers, agricultural products and apparel, and seeking opportunities to develop Halal supply chains for export. The conversation also touched on locality-to-locality cooperation, with a proposal to twin Ho Chi Minh City and Casablanca, aiming to learn from each other's urban development experiences. Chairman Man thanked Morocco for its educational support to Vietnamese students and requested continued scholarship opportunities to them. To fortify legislative ties, Man suggested facilitating the exchange of high-ranking delegations and those from specialised agencies to share expertise, effectively following their 2017 cooperation agreement and offering mutual support at multilateral forums. Additionally, the establishment of a business council was suggested by the Moroccan leader to tackle specific trade and investment issues, alongside fostering connections between Vietnamese localities and Morocco's key port cities. In response, Man vowed to direct NA agencies to work with other concerned authorities to consider the proposals made by the Speaker./.