Vice President Yemi Osinbajo departed Abuja yesterday for Vietnam for high-level bilateral engagements in the Southeast Asian nation including meetings with President Nguyn Xuân Phúc; Vice President Vo Thi Aah Xuan, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, other government officials and the business community.
The reciprocal visit will further strengthen trade and bilateral relations between both countries.
A statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, recalled that in view of the trade and bilateral relations between both countries, then Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vuong Hue, had visited Nigeria in October 2019, and met with Prof. Osinbajo, other senior Nigerian government officials and also interacted with the Nigerian-Vietnam Business Association.
The former deputy prime minister who was accompanied to Nigeria by senior Vietnamese government officials and businessmen, noted that Nigeria was Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Africa. Trade between both countries stood at $280 million in 2014 and increased to over $500 million in 2019.
Although Nigeria and Vietnam have maintained long-standing diplomatic relations since 1976, Vice President Osinbajo will be the second Nigerian high ranking incumbent government official to visit the country after former president Olusegun Obasanjo who visited in 2005.
While there, the vice president is expected to witness the signing of Memorandum of a Understanding (MoU) and Agreements on investment between Nigeria and Vietnam. He will also hold high level diplomatic discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart, Vice President Vo Thi Aah Xuan and the prime minister on issues of trade, commerce, agriculture, technology and innovation among others.
Prof. Osinbajo will later participate in a Business Forum with the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce with representatives from both countries. He will conclude the visit on Wednesday.
