A comprehensive framework for cooperation

On July 23 in Dakar, under the witness of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the two ministries signed an MoU establishing a broad framework for collaboration in agriculture, livestock, and food security.

On July 23 in Dakar, witnessed by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, the two ministries signed an MoU on cooperation in agriculture, livestock, and food security, paving the way for joint research, technology transfer, and training to connect governments, scientists, and enterprises

The MoU covers a wide range of activities: promoting rice, fruit and vegetable production; developing self-sufficiency models; supplying seeds, machinery, and agricultural inputs; improving irrigation systems; and advancing food processing and preservation. Importantly, cooperation will also extend to livestock, including genetic improvement of cattle and poultry, animal disease control, dairy and meat processing technologies, and the digitalization of production.

Both sides agreed to enhance technical exchanges, joint research, technology transfer, and agricultural extension. Vietnam expressed readiness to provide policy and planning advisory services, share expertise, and support human resource training for Senegal. This shows that the partnership extends beyond government-to-government links, fostering ties among scientists, research institutes, and enterprises.

A notable feature of the MoU is the commitment to mobilize international resources and leverage co-financing from global development organizations. In this way, the agreement moves beyond a bilateral framework toward multilateral cooperation, increasing the effectiveness of implementation.

Policy dialogue charts new directions for long-term cooperation

As part of the visit, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung attended a policy dialogue titled “Legal and policy frameworks for advancing Vietnam–Senegal development cooperation.” The event served as an open platform where policymakers, experts, and businesses from both countries discussed long-term cooperation, grounded in complementary strengths and shared priorities.

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung joined a Vietnam–Senegal policy dialogue on legal and policy frameworks, where officials, experts, and businesses explored long-term cooperation

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung underlined five areas of focus for practical and effective cooperation. First, sharing policies and development priorities in agriculture, trade, and investment to identify synergies. Second, exchanging experience in drafting and implementing laws and policies, including farm support, agri-trade promotion, and private investment facilitation. Third, advancing concrete cooperation models such as technology transfer, seed and livestock exchange, public-private partnerships, agricultural training, and business linkages. Fourth, promoting initiatives and mechanisms such as signing MoUs, establishing joint working groups, launching South–South projects, and holding investment and trade promotion events. Finally, jointly addressing legal and institutional barriers to create a transparent, stable, and attractive environment for business cooperation.

According to the Deputy Minister, this structured agenda reflects Vietnam’s determination to build a roadmap with clear priorities and responsibilities for ministries, research institutes, and enterprises. He also emphasized the two countries’ similarities: both have agriculture-based economies, are highly vulnerable to climate change, and consider food security a strategic priority. Drawing from its own experience, Vietnam is ready to share effective small-scale production models, particularly in rice, coffee, and fisheries, to support Senegal’s sustainable development.

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung also called for the involvement of international organizations to develop trilateral projects under the South–South framework. This approach would combine Vietnam’s technical strengths with financial resources from development partners, while directly benefiting Senegal.

Vietnam–Senegal relations in the broader vision of South–South cooperation

Alongside policy activities, a high-level meeting between National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko sent a positive signal for bilateral ties. Prime Minister Sonko affirmed that both the President and Prime Minister of Senegal are committed to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, making it a central focus of Senegal’s South–South strategy.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Senegalese National Assembly President El Malick Ndiaye posed for a photo with delegates from both countries at the signing ceremony

Senegal expressed strong interest in learning from Vietnam’s expertise in crop varieties, irrigation techniques, off-season production, and agricultural engineering training. The country is also keen to increase rice imports from Vietnam to ensure food security, while encouraging Vietnamese investment in technology and services.

Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed that with its strengths in agriculture, Vietnam stands ready to work with Senegal to develop a comprehensive agricultural strategy. Beyond agriculture, Vietnam also seeks to expand cooperation in telecommunications and digital transformation, thereby facilitating bilateral trade and investment.

The significance of the partnership goes beyond economics. Cultural exchanges are also being strengthened, as illustrated by the growing popularity of Vietnamese martial art Viet Vo Dao in Senegal, a symbol of people-to-people friendship and long-term solidarity between the two nations.

This visit and its outcomes mark an opening phase, laying the foundation not only for Vietnam–Senegal relations but also for a model of South–South cooperation in agriculture and sustainable development.

Minh Thao