Algerian-Vietnamese Agreements in Housing, Finance, and Education Sectors

Algeria and Vietnam signed agreements and memoranda of understanding on Wednesday in Algiers, covering several sectors including housing, finance, and education.

The signing ceremony was overseen by Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb and his Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Minh Chinh, who is paying an official visit to Algeria.

This concerns a memorandum of understanding between the Algerian Ministry of Housing, Urban Planning, and Urban Development and the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction in the field of housing, urban development, and city planning. It was signed by the Algerian Minister of Housing, Mohamed Tarek Belaribi, and his Vietnamese counterpart, Tran Hong Minh.

In the financial sector, an addendum to the general protocol for debt management between the two countries was signed by the Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Finance, Kamal Miraghni, and the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Finance, Donh Tang Trang.

The two countries concluded a cooperation agreement in the education sector, signed by Dina Lila Soualili, Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Education, and Le Quang Huy, Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam.

Among the cooperation documents signed was a memorandum of understanding between the University of Science and Technology “Houari Boumediene” and the Vietnamese Institute of Posts and Telecommunications. It was signed on behalf of Algeria by the Rector of the University, Djamel Eddine Akrache, and on behalf of the Vietnamese Institute by its Director, Dang Hoai Bac.

On the same occasion, a declaration of intent was also signed between the Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade regarding cooperation in studying, evaluating, and promoting negotiations on a preferential bilateral trade agreement. The declaration was signed by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion, Abdeslem Djahnit and the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Phan Thi Thang.

For its part, the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Vietnamese counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding, by the president of the Algerian Chamber, Tayeb Chebab, and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ho Sy Hung.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of the minutes of the 13th Algerian-Vietnamese Cooperation Session, held in Algiers on November 16 and 17, by the Algerian Minister of Industry, Yahia Bachir, and the Vietnamese Minister of Construction, Tran Hong Minh.

In a joint statement with his Vietnamese counterpart, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the results of this “important visit,” which will open “a new chapter and embody the strong shared will of both sides to advance cooperation in all fields.” He confirmed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with the friendly Socialist Republic of Vietnam within a renewed approach to building a diversified partnership that reflects the historical ties between the two countries.

He also affirmed that “establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries is the culmination of a shared vision to capitalise on all available cooperation opportunities across various fields, particularly political, military, security, and economic.”

Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb praised the talks held by both sides, which allowed for “a comprehensive assessment of the current development of bilateral relations and the adoption of a series of practical measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly through intensified political consultation and diplomatic coordination at all levels, as well as enhanced cooperation in several areas such as defense, security, and combating non-traditional threats, especially transnational crime.”

The talks also covered “mechanisms to encourage economic operators to explore and exploit investment opportunities and establish profitable partnerships, particularly in the hydrocarbons and renewable energy, agriculture, industry, and infrastructure sectors,” in addition to “strengthening decentralised cooperation between local communities and valuing the existing twinning agreement between the Algerian wilaya of Batna (eastern Algeria) and the Vietnamese province of Dien Bien.”

It was also agreed to continue coordination in international and regional forums to support efforts aimed at establishing a more just and balanced international order, based on respect for the principles of the UN Charter, non-interference in the affairs of states, and the promotion of South-South cooperation, the Prime Minister said.

In this context, Sifi Ghrieb mentioned Algeria’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) last July, emphasising that it presents an opportunity to continue working with Vietnam and other ASEAN member states to build a comprehensive and constructive cooperation framework. He expressed his confidence that Algeria’s application for sectoral dialogue partner status with ASEAN would receive Vietnam’s support, given its prominent role within the organisation.

For his part, the Vietnamese Prime Minister praised Algeria’s achievements in recent years, which, he added, will contribute to “creating a common strength and advancing cooperation to achieve the interests of both countries.”

The Vietnamese official affirmed that the two countries reached a “high level of consensus on the principles and procedures aimed at strengthening their relations,” agreeing to “elevate these relations to a strategic partnership, reflecting the high level of political trust at all levels and expanding cooperation in all fields.”

He also noted that the meeting allowed for an agreement to enhance the exchange of high-level delegations and local officials to promote trust and mutual understanding in the political field, and to support bilateral and multilateral frameworks related to the economy, trade and investment.