- Title: South Africa Deputy President meets Vietnam's leader to boost trade ties
- Date: 4th October 2016
- Summary: HANOI, VIETNAM (OCTOBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE SOUTH AFRICA, VIETNAM'S NATIONAL FLAGS MEETING ROOM WITH DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, VIETNAMESE PRESIDENT TRAN DAI QUANG SEATED RAMAPHOSA SPEAKING QUANG LISTENING RAMAPHOSA, QUANG AT MEETING SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION RAMAPHOSA SPEAKING VIETNAMESE DELEGATION MEETING IN PROGRESS RAMAPHOSA WALKING INTO ROOM, SHAKING HANDS WITH REPORTER SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SAYING: "This has been a very successful visit, mutually beneficial, based on respect for one another, and based on seeking every way we can to prosper each other and make sure that we have really good international relations. We cooperate internationally, at the U.N. level and at the other international institution. We cooperate extremely well, so Vietnam is a good friend of South Africa and we are very please with that." REPORTER TYPING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SAYING: "At the trade level, we are already doing quite a lot of trade. The trade has grown from about half a billion dollars to one and a half billion dollars and we want to expand that. At the moment it's more in the favour of Vietnam because Vietnam is exporting a lot more goods to South Africa from a manufacturing base, and we are exporting a little less from an agricultural base. We want to expand that to include mining products, which we are very good at, to include defense products, which we also have in good abundance. We reached agreement that we are going to do everything we can to balance the trade between our two countries. Now this is cooperation at its highest level." SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SAYING: "When it comes to the blue ocean economy, Vietnam is already a leading country in the building of ships. We went to the shipyard and saw the extensive work that they do. South Africa has embarked on using the oceans as a pillar of our economy, and we are embarking on a massive investment drive in the blue ocean economy. And so Vietnam is going to be our good partner when it comes to aquaculture, when it comes to marine transport, when it comes to ship building, when it comes to tug boat building. We are already doing some of these things so Vietnam is going to give us a lot of support and a lot of assistance." RAMAPHOSA TALKING TO REPORTER RAMAPHOSA WALKING OUT OF ROOM
- Embargoed: 19th October 2016 14:30
- Keywords: Hanoi Vietnam Cyril Ramaphosa South Africa deputy president
- Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
- City: HANOI, VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00152LBMMF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Deputy President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa concluded a two-day visit to Vietnam, which he billed as "very successful" on Tuesday (October 4) after having held talks with President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi.
"This has been a very successful visit, mutually beneficial, based on respect for one another, and based on seeking every way we can to prosper each other and make sure that we have really good international relations. We cooperate internationally, at the U.N. level and at the other international institution. We cooperate extremely well, so Vietnam is a good friend of South Africa and we are very please with that," Ramaphosa told reporters.
"At the trade level, we are already doing quite a lot of trade. The trade has grown from about half a billion dollars to one and a half billion dollars and we want to expand that. At the moment it's more in the favour of Vietnam because Vietnam is exporting a lot more goods to South Africa from a manufacturing base, and we are exporting a little less from an agricultural base. We want to expand that to include mining products, which we are very good at, to include defense products, which we also have in good abundance. We reached agreement that we are going to do everything we can to balance the trade between our two countries. Now this is cooperation at its highest level," he added.
Ramaphosa visited the coastal city of Haiphong earlier on Tuesday. The city, located some 100 kilometres north of Hanoi, is home to a shipyard as the two countries are working on boosting ties in the maritime sector.
"When it comes to the blue ocean economy, Vietnam is already a leading country in the building of ships. We went to the shipyard and saw the extensive work that they do. South Africa has embarked on using the oceans as a pillar of our economy, and we are embarking on a massive investment drive in the blue ocean economy. And so Vietnam is going to be our good partner when it comes to aquaculture, when it comes to marine transport, when it comes to ship building, when it comes to tug boat building. We are already doing some of these things so Vietnam is going to give us a lot of support and a lot of assistance," Ramaphosa said.
South African media said Vietnam is the country's largest trading partner in the region and bilateral trade is on the rise.
Ramaphosa leaves Vietnam to Singapore on Wednesday (October 5). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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