Algerian media has provided extensive coverage of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man’s ongoing official tour of Africa, spotlighting its strategic significance for strengthening Vietnam’s ties with African nations, particularly Senegal and Morocco.
Regional media hailed the visit as a new milestone in South-South cooperation, noting the series of strategic agreements signed between Vietnam and Senegal on July 23 in Dakar.
These covered diplomacy, agriculture, rice trade, and inter-parliamentary cooperation. Algerian outlets underscored the strong political resolve shown by both sides to elevate their bilateral relationship into a substantive strategic partnership rooted in political trust and sustainable development.
NA Chairman Man’s visit is described as “historic,” not only due to the scale of the Vietnamese delegation but also because of the high-level political commitment expressed by both countries. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye personally received the Vietnamese top legislator, affirming his country’s appreciation of traditional friendship with Vietnam and expressing a desire to deepen practical, mutually beneficial cooperation.
Local media paid special attention to practical areas of cooperation, especially rice trade and agricultural development. As one of the world’s leading rice exporters, Vietnam is expected to help Senegal advance its goal of achieving food self-sufficiency by 2035, through technology transfer, farmer training, and the development of domestic value chains. This collaboration was seen as a proactive response by Global South countries to growing global food security challenges.
The visit also reflected Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of promoting partnerships with developing countries, particularly in Africa – a continent rich in untapped potential. The parallel advancement of parliamentary and state diplomacy, as noted by Senegal’s National Assembly President El Malick Ndiaye, demonstrated Vietnam’s multi-layered, long-term approach to building strategic partnerships.
The Algerian press quoted Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Tran Quoc Khanh, who noted the untapped potential for Vietnam–Africa cooperation. He emphasised the complementary roles of Vietnam and Senegal as gateways—Vietnam in ASEAN, Senegal in ECOWAS and the AfCFTA, laying the groundwork for new Asia–Africa trade corridors.
Algerian media also spotlighted the Vietnam–Senegal business roundtable, co-chaired by both NA leaders. The event convened government and business representatives to explore cooperation in agriculture, energy, green finance, logistics, and human resources development, fostering Asian–African business links amid Africa’s efforts to diversify partnerships and boost internal capacity.
On the cultural front, Algerian outlets highlighted the growing popularity of Vietnam’s traditional martial art Vovinam in Senegal, which now boasts over 3,000 practitioners—the second highest in Africa after Algeria. This was hailed as a vivid example of people-to-people exchange, fostering mutual understanding and providing a strong social foundation for bilateral ties.
Against the backdrop of Algeria’s growing engagement with ASEAN, especially its participation in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, NA Chairman Man’s visit is seen as part of a broader trend of Global South nations forging new partnerships and working toward a fairer global development framework. Vietnam is increasingly seen as a responsible partner and vital bridge between Asia and Africa.
The tour is expected to advance Vietnam–Africa ties comprehensively and practically, enhancing cooperation across parliamentary, economic, cultural, and social domains, grounded in shared values of peace, development, and prosperity.
Meanwhile, Moroccan media also gave wide coverage to NA Chairman Man’s visit to Morocco from July 24 to 27, considering it a key step toward bolstering multifaceted cooperation and friendship between the two countries./.
