Pretoria - The South African government raised a glass on Friday to toast the 77th anniversary of the Independence Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Ambassador Hoang van Loi and his wife Luong Thu Ha hosted members of the diplomatic corps and other friends of Vietnam for the celebration.
Deputy Minister in the South African Presidency, Thembi Siweya, joined the occasion to wish Vietnam well, and said the two countries had enjoyed a strong bond for many decades and next year would mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Hoang said this milestone would be celebrated on a grand scale through an event called Vietnam Day, which would not only include a cultural festival, but allow South Africans to experience the Vietnamese story. On September 2, 1945, (then) president Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of independence of Vietnam after many years of war.
On that day a new nation was born, founded by the values of patriotism, national unity and peace.
Hoang said Vietnam had since grown in leaps and bounds. “Vietnam is today a nation of nearly 100 million people, with a GDP of more than $350 billion.”
He said Vietnam had become a middle-income developing country with ties worldwide. “By 2045, at the celebration of our 100 years of independence, Vietnam shall be a developed and high-income country,” he said.
South Africa is the largest trading partner of Vietnam on the African continent, with $1.3bn in two-way trade. The ambassador said Vietnam and South Africa often shared common views on key issues such as the promotion of peace, security and development.
In November 2020, South Africa’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in south-east Asia was the realisation of a dream envisaged by former president Nelson Mandela, the ambassador said.
Siweya also acknowledged that the close bond between the two countries emanated from the Struggle against colonialism. She said the ties went back many years before the formal establishment of diplomatic relations.
Pretoria News