Deputy Minister Le Quoc Hung visits South Africa to strengthen security cooperation

A high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, led by Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, visited South Africa from February 24 - March 1, 2024, at the invitation of the leaders of South African law enforcement agencies.

The business trip of the high-level delegation of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam had an important meaning, contributing to tightening cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa, between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and South African partners in the following years. 

30 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023), the two countries have now enjoyed a partnership for development and cooperation.

During his visit to South Africa, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Hung and his entorage had working sessions with Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, Acting Director General of the National Security Agency Nozuko Bam, leaders of the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

The working sessions were also attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Sy Cuong.

At the meetings, the two parties agreed to strengthen their bilateral coordination as well as cooperation with other countries in the region to prevent and combat all types of crimes on the basis of respecting the current laws of each country and international law.

The two sides will also prevent crime early and from afar, and especially the law enforcement forces of the two countries will join efforts to prevent South African citizens from violating Vietnam's entry and exit laws, and actively exchange criminal information, team up in pursuing fugitives of one country hiding in the other and take effective measures to fight transnational organized crime.

The two sides saw the need to exchange delegations at all levels to seek opportunity for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of security, order and law enforcement while stepping up negotiations on the signing of agreements on returning citizens, preventing illegal immigration and migration, visa exemption for citizens holding ordinary passports, fighting illegally trade, transportation and use of rare animals and wildlife products between the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Police of the Republic of South Africa as well as agreements on extradition, cooperation in preventing and combating transnational organized crime, transfer of imprisoned persons between the two governments, to complete a legal corridor for the bilateral security cooperation.

* During his business trip, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Hung and the delegation also visited and had a meeting  with the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa.