Deputy Minister Kenny Morolong: 81st anniversary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Your Excellency, Ambassador Mr Nguyen Trong Kien

Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners

Members of the Diplomatic Community Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a singular honour for me, to represent the South African Government and its people at this commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Independence Day of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

It is also a great pleasure for me to extend a warm South African welcome to His Excellency, Ambassador Nguyen Trong Kien and his spouse, Madam Nguyen Thanh Thuy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to South Africa.

We also wish to convey our best wishes for a successful and fruitful tenure in further strengthening the enduring friendship and partnership between our two countries. Today's celebration offers us the opportunity to reflect on the significant nature of the relationship between our two countries.

It is a relationship that takes us back many years, to the Bandung Conference in 1955, where the seeds of solidarity and cooperation between the South African liberation movement and Viet Nam were sown.

On 22 December 1993, formal diplomatic relations were established between South Africa and Viet Nam. Viet Nam opened its Embassy in Pretoria in 2000 and South Africa opened its Mission in Hanoi on 1 October 2002.

Since then, we have seen numerous high-level visits take place between the two countries, the conclusion of several bilateral legal instruments in various areas of cooperation.

We have together established an Inter-Governmental Partnership Forum for Economic, Trade, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Co-operation aimed at facilitating cooperation in areas of mutual interest in 2004.

In October 2025, President Ramaphosa undertook a State Visit to Viet Nam, during which we have both agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. This milestone introduced a qualitative transformation in government-to-government engagement.

This renewed engagement is marked by deeper political dialogue, strengthened economic and sectoral cooperation, and the establishment of more structured mechanisms for coordination purposes.

The elevation of the Partnership Forum, the Joint Trade Committee, and the Defence Policy Review mechanisms; together with the creation of new sector specific working groups marks the emergence of a more mature and comprehensive bilateral framework.

In essence, 2025 represented the culmination of decades of effort between South Africa and Viet Nam to deepen and broaden our ties. Ensuring that the relationship moves beyond formal agreements to become a genuine partnership that delivers tangible benefits for the peoples of both nations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at the regional and multilateral level; South Africa's engagement with Viet Nam is increasingly situated within the broader context of South Africa's expanding interaction with the ASEAN region.

The ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner status has created additional platforms for political dialogue and cooperation in Southeast Asia Viet Nam's active role within ASEAN further enhances its significance as a gateway partner for South Africa's regional objectives.Concurrently, Viet Nam has intensified its engagement with BRICS, including through participation in the Partner Country Model, reflecting converging interests in reforming global governance and strengthening South-South cooperation.

These intersecting dynamics underscore Viet Nam's growing strategic relevance to South Africa across bilateral, regional and plurilateral dimensions, further reinforcing the need for sustained and appropriately resourced diplomatic engagement.

Esteemed Guests, we are confident that in the coming years and decades: relations between South Africa and Vietnam will continue to grow from strength to strength, to the mutual benefit of the peoples of our two countries and the regions we find ourselves in.

In these turbulent times, when the international arena is marked by uncertainty and rapid change, South Africa and Viet Nam stand stronger when they stand together.By joining hands, our two nations can chart a course through shifting global currents with confidence and clarity.

Cooperation allows us to amplify our voices, to ensure that our perspectives are heard in multilateral forums, and to safeguard our shared interests.It enables us to turn challenges into opportunities: expanding trade, deepening political dialogue, and building resilience against global shocks.Together, South Africa and Viet Nam can transform uncertainty into a platform for innovation and solidarity, proving that partnership is the surest compass in navigating an unpredictable world.

Please allow me on behalf of President Ramaphosa, the Government and people of the

Republic of South Africa, to invite you to raise your glass and toast.