This year, the Egyptian national day marks the 70th anniversary of the Egyptian revolution of July 23, 1952. This event shaped the modern political history in Egypt and significantly inspired other countries in different parts of the world, especially those struggling to achieve independence. The first Egyptian Republic was established to lead the path of modernisation, development and social justice in Egypt. Not many years later, and in the spirit of solidarity among nations aspiring for independence and development, Egypt and Viet Nam established diplomatic relations in 1963, and both countries are looking forward to working together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Egyptian-Vietnamese diplomatic ties and the longstanding friendship between our two nations next year.

In recent years, the friendship between Egypt and Viet Nam had its highest political manifestation in the historical exchanged state visits of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to Viet Nam. These visits contributed further momentum to the bilateral relations between our two countries and peoples in all fields, including political, economic, military, parliamentary, and cultural aspects. Furthermore, despite the impact of the pandemic, the economic ties between Egypt and Viet Nam continued to grow. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries topped US$600 million last year.

In addition, the second session of the subcommittee on Industry and Trade Cooperation was virtually held in August 2021 to further promote economic cooperation between our two countries. Currently, both countries are working closely to prepare for the 6th session of the Egyptian Vietnamese Joint committee, to be held in Cairo, and the 9th session of political consultations in the capital. Among the different fields of cooperation between Egypt and Viet Nam, cultural relations continue to be a very important pillar of our bilateral relations.

Several joint activities took place in recent years, including the active participation in cultural festivals and events organised by the two countries and the increasing numbers of Vietnamese students choosing to study the Arabic language in Egypt. These relations further contribute to raising the young generations’ awareness regarding the friendship between our two nations and consolidating the cultural links between our countries. This year, Egypt will host the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on November 6-18, 2022, to address the important challenges that the world faces as a result of climate change, and discuss the different commitments pledged in this regards.

A version of this story appears in the print edition of the September 8, 2022, issue.