• South Africa, Vietnam issue statement agreeing to promote cooperation on diplomacy, national defense, economy

ISTANBUL 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva kicked off a three-day visit to Malaysia on Friday to explore avenues of cooperation and to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur as guest of the chair, according to Malaysian state-run Bernama news agency.

The visit marks Lula’s first to Malaysia since assuming office for a new term in January 2023.

Lula and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar are expected to discuss regional and global issues such as the Palestinian issue and explore new avenues to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, semiconductors, science and technology, renewable energy, the halal industry, agriculture and health and education.

Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) will be inked after a meeting Saturday, including on semiconductors, science and innovation.

During his visit to Indonesia, Lula and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed eight MoUs covering cooperation in the energy transition, technology development, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, statistics, food processing, oil and gas, and trade and investment, Indonesian news agency Antara reported.

South Africa, Vietnam to promote cooperation on diplomacy, national defense, 2-way trade

South Africa and Vietnam agreed to promote cooperation in diplomacy and national defense, with economic cooperation a key pillar, said a joint statement Friday.

It comes as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Vietnam on Thursday and Friday. He met with President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, as well as National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Luong Cuong and Ramaphosa “agreed to promote cooperation in all fields, including politics, diplomacy, national defence, security, law and justice, two-way trade and investment, science and technology, digital transformation, agriculture, environment, climate change response, biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, business, mining, education and training, culture, and tourism,” the statement said.

They also agreed to elevate relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership this year, according to The Voice of Vietnam.

The two countries discussed ways to leverage networks of ASEAN Free Trade Agreements and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as well as other regional trade agreements.

Ramaphosa also traveled to Malaysia on Friday to attend the ASEAN summit.​​​​​​​