From March 14 to March 20th, 2022, President Julius Maada Bio and his wife – Fatima Maada Bio made their first official visit to Vietnam, marking an important milestone after more than 40 years of relationship with good diplomacy between the two countries. The visit is set in the context that African countries, including Sierra Leone, attach great importance to establishing and developing cooperative relations with countries in the Asia – Pacific region, including Vietnam.

Sierra Leone – Vietnam: Good diplomatic relations

On June 24th, 1982, Vietnam and Sierra Leone officially established diplomatic relations. Up to now, the two countries have always maintained a friendly relationship and maintained active cooperation in terms of economy, politics and society with outstanding milestones in the process of promoting friendly cooperation and actually between the parties, can be mentioned as:

2010: Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr. Dao Xuan Hung, visited the Republic of Sierra Leone

2011: Minister of Industry and Trade of Sierra Leone visited Vietnam

2018: Presidential Advisor Abu Bakarr Karim visits Vietnam

President Julius Maada Bio made an official visit to Vietnam.

On the basis of high – level meetings between the two sides, many strategic orientation documents and commitment to long – term cooperation such as:

• • December 2001: Signing a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agriculture and salt production
  • 2003: Agreement on Economy – Trade, culture and technology
  • 2010: Memorandum of Understanding between Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Food Security on bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Sierra Leone on bilateral cooperation in the fisheries sector
  • 2010: Minutes of working between the two foreign ministries
  • 2011: Memorandum of Understanding between the two Ministries of Industry and Trade on rice trade

Within the framework of this visit, at the Ministerial meeting, the parties expressed their wish to consider re-signing the MoU on rice trade in order to strengthen the legal framework to promote rice import and export activities between the business community and the Vietnamese community industry of the two countries in the near future.

Sierra Leone – cooperation to unlock huge agricultural potential

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, with an area of ​​nearly 72,000 square kilometers and a population of about eight million. With agriculture employing more than 60% of the nation’s population, promoting agriculture has always been one of Sierra Leone’s economic policy priorities.

In previous talks and this visit to Vietnam, President Julius Maada Bio has repeatedly emphasized that Sierra Leone has always admired Vietnam’s great achievements in the agricultural sector, thereby affirming that the need to promote agricultural cooperation between the two countries, especially in the context that the two countries also have similarities in terms of climate and soil conditions. On the basis of the good relationship between the two countries, Sierra Leone wishes to receive support from Vietnam, sharing rice farming techniques, seafood processing technology and business cooperation.

The two leaders agreed to consider the economy in general and the agricultural economy in particular as a key field of cooperation. technological and technical results in farming, production and supply of agricultural products and initially achieved certain results: Orientation for strategic cooperation to develop a sustainable and modern agricultural model

• • Visited, worked and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) to promote cooperation between Sierra Leone and VAAS in the field of crop production
  • Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and An Giang Import – Export Joint Stock Company signed an MOU to cooperate in the field of rice.
  • Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources signed a cooperation agreement with Nam Viet Group Joint Stock Company in the field of seafood.
  • Visit the Mekong Delta Rice Institute and the Indian Ocean Seafood Processing Factory in Can Tho city

In order to promote the common goal of developing a strong agricultural economy not only in Vietnam but also in other potential agricultural countries, THD Vietnam Project Development Joint Stock Company had a discussion with President Julius Maada Bio on his desire to cooperate in investment in the agricultural sector of Sierra Leone as well as orientation to develop circular economic models in sustainable organic agriculture, industrialization and modernization in the market. Sierra Leone market as an effective solution to comprehensively promote the agricultural industry in crop production, animal husbandry, production and processing of quality agricultural products for the domestic market and for export.

In addition, Vietnam and Sierra Leone said they would learn and share experiences to promote agricultural cooperation within the bilateral framework as well as tripartite cooperation between the two countries and international development organizations, investment funds, investors and industrial countries developed from the private sector.