Egypt, Vietnam Discuss Free-Trade Deal & New Investments

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, where he attended on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The meeting was also attended by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Egyptian Ambassador to South Africa Ahmed Ali Sherif.

Madbouly expressed Egypt’s strong interest in strengthening bilateral relations across all fields, noting his appreciation for Vietnam’s economic success and development model. He highlighted the growing presence of Vietnamese companies in Egypt, including EUROPLAS, which built a major plastics factory in Sadat City and is seeking to expand within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. He also pointed to Song Hong’s partnership with Giza Spinning and Weaving to establish a garment factory in Aswan, along with potential investments from Vin Group in electric vehicle manufacturing.

The Prime Minister stressed Egypt’s willingness to develop a comprehensive roadmap to deepen cooperation, building on Egypt’s strategic location, its free-trade agreements, and its access to regional markets—opportunities that would allow Vietnamese products to reach neighbouring countries more easily.

For his part, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh congratulated Egypt on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and on elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. He expressed Vietnam’s readiness to expand cooperation and said the country is studying the possibility of signing a free-trade agreement with Egypt, noting that Vietnam’s position provides a gateway for Egyptian products into Asian markets.

The Vietnamese leader called for facilitating visas—particularly for investors—and simplifying procedures for Vietnamese companies wishing to operate in Egypt. He emphasised that both countries have significant potential for cooperation and encouraged Vietnamese firms to take advantage of incentives offered in Egypt’s special economic zones for exports to regional and international markets.

Pham Minh Chinh proposed forming a high-level joint committee to follow up on cooperation initiatives and further strengthen private-sector partnerships. He also stressed the importance of continued coordination between Cairo and Hanoi in regional and international forums.

At the close of the meeting, Madbouly welcomed Vietnam’s proposals and announced Egypt’s readiness to host a delegation of Vietnamese business leaders to advance cooperation. He added that Egypt is particularly keen to attract Vietnamese investment in the telecommunications and information technology sectors.