Vietnam, South Africa Increase Ethnic Affairs Cooperation

A delegation of the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) led by its chairman – Minister Giang Seo Phu – has visited South Africa from August 22-29 to share experience and strengthen cooperation in ethnic affairs. Receiving Minister Phu, South African Minister of Cooperation Governance and Traditional Affairs Pravin Gordhan spoke highly of Vietnam’s poverty reduction achievements, especially in caring for and assisting different groups of ethnic minority people. He said most ethnic minority people in South Africa are at a disadvantage in society and one of the primary tasks of the government set in the National Development Plan till 2030 is to increase economic power for approximately 80% of black and coloured people. He also thanked the government and people of Vietnam for providing valuable support for South Africa in the struggle to escape the brutal Apartheid era. For his part, Minister Phu noted both Vietnam and South Africa have many things in common, saying different ethnic groups help enrich the distinctive culture of each country. He said the Vietnamese government gives priority to improving the spiritual and material life of 54 groups of ethnic people in the country. Both sides exchanged views on challenges in maintaining and developing the diversity of cultures and languages of ethnic groups in each country. They also learned about each other’s policies and coordination between government agencies in caring for ethnic groups in difficulty, especially policies on education and health care. They agreed to increase the sharing of information and experience, as well as exchange of delegations to finalize legislation on ethnicity. During their stay, the Vietnamese delegation held working sessions with a number of other South African officials and visited several establishments in Cape Town capital. (Vov.vn Aug 29)