Hanoi (VNA) - As part of a working visit to the Republic of Senegal from May 10-15, a delegation from the Embassy of Vietnam in Algeria concurrently accredited to Senegal, led by Ambassador Tran Quoc Khanh, had a series of activities aimed at promoting multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Senegal, particularly in the areas of culture, sports, economy, trade, and people-to-people exchange.

On May 12, Ambassador Khanh met with Senegal’s Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Khady Diène Gaye. During the meeting, the ambassador expressed his delight at the development of the traditional martial art Vovinam in Senegal, highlighting it as a hallmark of cultural and sports cooperation between the two countries and a meaningful contribution to promoting Vietnamese culture globally. Notably, the annual Ambassador's Cup held in Senegal has become part of the official competition system of the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF).

For her part, Minister Khady Diène Gaye highly appreciated the contributions of the Vovinam movement in Senegal and voiced support for the policy of recognising a single representative organisation for Vovinam in the country, in line with international norms and the regulations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Ambassador Khanh reaffirmed that the embassy will continue to serve as a bridge, supporting the development of a unified, professional, and internationally recognised Vovinam ecosystem in the West African nation.

The ambassador also held a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Senegal. He commended the role of the community and its executive committee in preserving national cultural identity, and affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always attaches great importance to overseas citizens.

Leontine Pires, president of the Vietnamese association in Senegal, expressed the hope that Vietname will consider appointing an Honourary Consul in Senegal to support Vietnamese nationals with administrative matters and citizen protection, and to enhance the effectiveness of economic and diplomatic activities.

On May 14, the Vietnam Trade Office in Algeria concurrently accredited to Senegal, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Dakar, organised a business networking conference with the participation of around 60 companies from both countries operating in sectors such as agriculture, food, industrial goods, and services.

Speaking at the event, Mbaye Chimère Ndiaye, Secretary-General of the Dakar Chamber of Commerce, called on Vietnamese enterprises to invest in local processing in Senegal to make full use of domestic raw materials, particularly raw cashew nuts and cotton. He also highlighted Senegal as a potential market, with economic growth expected to reach 8.4% in 2025 – among the highest in Africa.

From the Vietnamese side, Trade Counsellor Hoang Duc Nhuan said in the first four months of 2025, Vietnam’s exports to Senegal stood at 43.43 million USD, nearly equalling the total for 2024 (43.91 million USD). Vietnam mainly exports rice, pepper, agricultural products, and components, while its imports from Senegal include raw cashew nuts, fishmeal, seafood, and cotton.

The conference also recorded practical recommendations from participating enterprises, such as improving the bilateral legal framework on trade and investment, establishing a Vietnam–Senegal Business Council, organising trade promotion forums, enhancing participation in bilateral and international exhibitions, and appointing an Honourary Consul in Senegal.

☂ Senegalese businesses expressed interest in importing Vietnamese rice, spices, coffee, tea, building materials, furniture, packaging, and school supplies. They praised the experience and financial capacity of Vietnamese companies and expressed their desire to find partners for joint production and processing in Senegal or to import products for domestic consumption and export to neighbouring markets under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)./.