Côte d’Ivoire could become a gateway for Vietnamese products entering the African market, while Vietnam is ready to act as a gateway for products from the African country entering ASEAN and Asia.

These were part of discussions on boosting bilateral economic cooperation between National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and President of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly Adama Bictogo in Hanoi on June 14.

Côte d’Ivoire has become one of the top 10 growing economies in Africa, with over 80 per cent of its cashew nuts and 70 per cent of cotton fiber exported to Vietnam. The country has also imported 40 per cent of its rice and 45 per cent of other goods such as machinery and motorcycles from Vietnam.

NA Chairman Hue affirmed that Vietnam is ready to work closely with the African country to enhance the importation of cashew nuts, cotton, and cocoa, in particular by developing value chain cooperation in cashew nut cultivation, processing, and export. Efforts will be made to strengthen trade promotion and investment and connections between associations and enterprises via visits and exchanges.

Côte d’Ivoire should expand the importation of products where Vietnam has strengths, such as seafood, fertilizer, apparel, footwear, household appliances, construction materials, electronics, and machinery, he said.

Vietnam is ready to offer all possible support to Côte d’Ivoire enterprises to do business in the country and vice-versa, NA Chairman Hue said, adding that to achieve this, cooperation in the banking sector is needed.