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Chairman El Malick Ndiaye welcomes Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse. Photo: National Assembly of Vietnam

Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his spouse began their official visit to Senegal from July 22 to 24 at the invitation of Senegalese National Assembly Chairman El Malick Ndiaye.

Chairman Ndiaye, accompanied by members of the Standing Committee of the Senegalese National Assembly, the Director of Protocol from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Chairman of the Senegalese National Assembly, welcomed Chairman Tran Thanh Man and the delegation at the airport.

Representing Vietnam were Ambassador Tran Quoc Khanh (Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria concurrently accredited to Senegal), officials from the Vietnamese Embassy, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Senegal.

Local residents greeted the Vietnamese delegation with vibrant and distinctive traditional dance performances.

This marks the first official visit by a top Vietnamese leader to Senegal since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1969.

During the visit, Chairman Tran Thanh Man is scheduled to hold talks with Chairman El Malick Ndiaye. The two sides are expected to sign a cooperation agreement between the two national assemblies, establishing a legal framework to deepen bilateral parliamentary relations.

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Local residents greet the Vietnamese delegation with traditional dance performances. Photo: National Assembly of Vietnam

The two chairmen will co-host a legal and policy forum focusing on agricultural, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Senegal.

Chairman Tran Thanh Man will also hold meetings with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The delegation will engage in several other activities as part of the official visit.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1969, Vietnam and Senegal have maintained a friendly and effective partnership, especially in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Francophonie, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Bilateral trade has seen positive growth in recent years. In 2024, trade volume reached over USD 81 million. In the first four months of 2025 alone, Vietnam’s exports to Senegal totaled more than USD 43 million, already equaling the total for 2024.

It is estimated that about 3,000 Vietnamese and people of Vietnamese descent reside in Senegal. Most are from around 300 families with Vietnamese wives and Senegalese husbands who settled there during the 1950s and 1960s, along with their descendants.

This visit is expected to provide fresh momentum for deepening economic, trade, and parliamentary ties between the two nations.

Tran Thuong