Benin wishes to improve its relations with Vietnam, Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi said, proposing the establishment of a joint committee to bolster bilateral ties.

President Thomas Boni Yayi welcomed Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Truong Giang, who came to present his credentials on September 18th.

Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi.

The president took the occasion to reaffirm Benin’s recognition of Vietnam as a market economy.

The leader stressed the need for both sides to exchange information on each other’s markets and economic potentials.

Benin wants to increase its imports of Vietnamese products, such as rice and consumer goods, and learn from Vietnam’s experience in agriculture and construction, he added.

Earlier, Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note confirming the country’s recognition of Vietnam’s market economy, making it the second Western African nation to recognise this after Cote d’Ivoire in 2014.

Source: VNA