Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru addresses the ceremony marking the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic relations (Source: VNA)Algiers (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria held aceremony in Algiers on October 29 to mark the 55th anniversary ofVietnam-Algeria diplomatic relations.
At the event, a special publication on Vietnam-Algeria relations wasintroduced, along with the screening of “Fleur de Lotus”, a film by an Algerianfilmmaker on a romance between an Algerian soldier and a Vietnamese womanduring the war in Vietnam.
A conference on cooperation between the two countries was also held,together with an exhibition showcasing photos and publications on diplomaticties between the two countries, and a banquet hosted by the embassy.
Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru saidthat Vietnam and Algeria have enjoyed sound relations even before they set updiplomatic relations in 1962.
The two countries have supported each other not only in their paststruggle against invaders, but also in national development.
Vietnam was among the first countries to recognise the provisionalgovernment of Algeria in 1958. Only a month after the two sides set updiplomatic relations, Vietnam opened its embassy in the country, said thediplomat.
He also noted that the two countries have signed about 30 bilateralcooperation agreements in various fields, while the Vietnam-AlgeriaInter-Governmental Committee meets every two years, boosting bilateralpartnership.
For his part, Boumedienne Guennad from Algeria’s Ministry of ForeignAffairs noted the warm sentiments that people of both countries have for eachother as well as achievements in bilateral partnership over the past 55 years.
He expressed his belief that bilateral ties will thrive in the future,especially in diplomacy and trade.
Statistics showed that two-way trade between Vietnam and Algeria hasgrown well every year, reaching about 270 million USD in 2016 and is likely tohit 300 million USD in 2017.
The two sides are working together to raise the figure to 1 billion USDin 2020. Algeria is currently the third largest partner of Vietnam inAfrica.-VNA
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