Johannesburg, Nov. 21 -- Vietnam and South Africa have issued a Joint Statement on the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's trip to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit and conduct a number of bilateral activities from November 21-23.

The following is the full text of the joint statement.

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE UPGRADE TO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA1. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1993, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of South Africa have forged an excellent traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation in numerous areas on the basis of trust, equality, mutual respect, and...