The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening economic cooperation with global partners following high-level discussions with a delegation from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam aimed at expanding trade and investment ties between Africa and Southeast Asia.
On behalf of the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Rui Livramento, welcomed a high-level Vietnamese delegation led by the country’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nguyen Minh Hang, at the AfCFTA Secretariat headquarters in Accra on 2 July 2026.
The meeting underscored the growing importance of strategic partnerships in supporting Africa’s continental integration agenda and unlocking new opportunities for trade, investment, industrialization and sustainable economic development.
Discussions focused on exploring practical areas of cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and the AfCFTA Secretariat, with particular emphasis on enhancing trade relations, promoting investment, strengthening private sector collaboration, and facilitating knowledge exchange in areas that can accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA.
The engagement comes at a time when the AfCFTA has transitioned from negotiations to full-scale implementation, with increasing emphasis on building partnerships that enhance Africa’s productive capacity, improve market access and integrate African businesses into regional and global value chains.
Vietnam, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and an emerging manufacturing and export powerhouse, has developed extensive expertise in industrial development, export promotion, digital transformation and SME competitiveness. These experiences present valuable opportunities for collaboration with African countries seeking to leverage the AfCFTA to drive industrialization and expand intra-African trade.
The meeting also reflected the AfCFTA Secretariat’s broader strategy of engaging international partners that can contribute technical expertise, investment and innovation to support the realization of a single African market of more than 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP exceeding US$3.4 trillion.
As implementation of the Agreement gathers momentum across the continent, the AfCFTA Secretariat continues to strengthen diplomatic and economic partnerships with countries and institutions around the world that share Africa’s vision of creating a more integrated, competitive and prosperous continental economy.
The discussions concluded with a shared commitment to deepen engagement and explore mutually beneficial initiatives that will strengthen economic cooperation between Vietnam and Africa under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.