Yesterday's visit marked the first of the two-legged visit set to conclude tomorrow when President Mbeki returns from Algeria where he will be attending the summit of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC).
Prime Minister Van Khai has already visited Morocco and Algeria.
The historic three African nations visit is the first by a Vietnamese Head of State to the continent in more than three decades.
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai is accompanied by the largest delegation to ever visit South Africa, which includes government ministers, and the chairperson of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Doan Duy Khuong.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Vietnam regarded South Africa as an important strategic gateway to Africa with a view to increasing its commercial and diplomatic links with South Africa and other African states.
In that regard eighteen months ago, Vietnam launched the first Vietnam-Africa Conference, with the theme: "Opportunities for Co-operation and Development in the 21st Century".
"Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's visit to South Africa will provide useful opportunities for South Africa and Vietnam to strengthen bilateral relations and to create synergies between Nepad and the Vietnam Africa Conference for the mutual benefit of Africa and Vietnam," said the foreign affairs department.
It added that the two leaders would discuss among others the restructuring of the United Nations, Vietnam's World Trade Organisation aspirations, south-south co-operation, the Middle East Peace Process, political changes in Afghanistan and Iraq and the ongoing campaign against international terrorism.
South Africa's trade with Vietnam during the past ten years has increased eight-fold.
Mbeki left yesterday for Algiers where he is scheduled to attend today's Second Meeting of the Forum of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
"The summit will provide an opportunity to review progress since the last meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia," said foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.
These include the outcomes of the Africa Partnership Forum held in Washington from October 3 to 4, the Nepad Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue held in Sandton, from October 22 to 23, Nepad integration into the African Union structures and financing for development issues as well as a progress report on programme implementation.
The African Peer Review Forum (APRF) meeting is expected to discuss progress in the operationalisation of the decisions of the first APRF, particularly relating to the reviews of Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius and Kenya. - BuaNews.
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