Viet Nam, Côte d’Ivoire seek to deepen economic ties

Côte d’Ivoire is a dynamic economy in West Africa, with an increasingly important voice in the region and on international forums. Thanks to its political stability, Côte d’Ivoire has recorded one of the fastest growth rates on the continent over the past decade and has been ranked by the World Bank (WB) as second in West Africa in terms of ease of doing business.

In its efforts to attract investment and external resources for development and strengthen its economic position in the region, Côte d’Ivoire is seeking to expand cooperation with major countries, Gulf states and Southeast Asian nations, including Viet Nam.

Despite their geographical distance, Viet Nam and Côte d’Ivoire share a sincere and enduring relationship. The two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2025. During meetings with Ivorian leaders, Vietnamese leaders have emphasised that Viet Nam always attaches importance to friendship with African countries, with Côte d’Ivoire serving as a “gateway” for Viet Nam to access and promote relations with countries in West Africa.

African countries in general and Côte d’Ivoire in particular are important partners of Viet Nam as the country actively pursues comprehensive, extensive and diversified international integration and diversifies its markets to enhance competitiveness in the new era of development.

Côte d’Ivoire is currently Viet Nam’s leading trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade has grown rapidly since 2015, reaching nearly 2 billion USD in 2025. Agricultural products are one of the key drivers of bilateral trade. Viet Nam imports cashew nuts, cotton and certain raw materials from Côte d’Ivoire, while exporting rice and consumer goods to the Ivorian market. Ivorian officials have repeatedly affirmed that they regard Viet Nam as an important partner in agriculture and expressed their desire for Viet Nam to support the country in rice production and ensuring food security.

As two dynamic economies actively pursuing international integration, Viet Nam and Côte d’Ivoire have considerable potential for cooperation by capitalising on their respective strengths and existing potential, towards an increasingly substantive partnership.

In April 2026, on the occasion of attending the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Türkiye, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire Patrick Achi. At the meeting, NA Chairman Tran Thanh bilateral relations in a substantive manner on the basis of equality, balance and mutual benefit, the two sides should focus on capitalising on the strengths of traditional trade items such as rice and cashew nuts, while continuing to diversify their export products.

The two countries are currently making efforts to create maximum favourable conditions for their business communities, thereby facilitating access for their respective key products to each other’s markets. The two sides are placing emphasis on information exchange, trade and investment promotion, and stronger connectivity between business associations.

At the international level, the two countries coordinate closely and support each other at international forums and organisations. As a proactive and active member of ASEAN, Viet Nam serves as a “gateway” for Ivorian products to enter the ASEAN and Asian markets. Building on their longstanding tradition of fruitful cooperation over more than half a century, relations between Viet Nam and Côte d’Ivoire are expected to reach new heights, contributing to the two countries’ efforts to realise their development aspirations in the future.