Negrin said in a recent interview granted to VOV that the friendly relationship between the two countries has been continuously strengthened and expanded across many fields over the past half century. One of the important milestones was the establishment of the Political Consultation mechanism at the Deputy Ministerial level in 2002, creating a foundation for official and effective dialogue between the two Governments.

“This mechanism has been maintained stably with seven meetings and is expected to hold the eighth meeting in 2025 in Mexico City, marking a commitment to further strengthening political cooperation,” he revealed.

In terms of economy, the Ambassador highlighted the role of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as a lever to strongly promote bilateral trade. In just five years since the agreement came into effect, two-way trade turnover between the two countries has tripled, reaching over US$14 billion by 2024. Currently, Mexico is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner in the Latin America - Caribbean region and the largest import market for Vietnamese goods in the region.

In addition, the CPTPP also opens up many opportunities for investment capital flows and joint venture projects between businesses of the two countries. The diplomat highly appreciated the potential of the Vietnamese market for Mexico’s key export products such as electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, meat, processed foods and typical beverages such as mezcal (distilled alcoholic beverage) and tequila (also distilled beverage).

On the contrary, he expected that many Vietnamese enterprises would be more interested in investing in the Mexican market, thereby promoting two-way capital flows and increasing connectivity between the two economies.

“A recent diplomatic milestone was the meeting between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro at the end of 2024. This meeting clearly demonstrated the political determination of both sides in deepening the bilateral relationship and moving towards strategic cooperation goals in the future,” said the ambassador.

Negrin also stated that cultural and educational cooperation is an area with great potential but has not yet developed commensurate with the economic relationship. He affirmed that cultural and educational activities play an essential role in enhancing understanding and connection between the people of the two countries.

In order to further develop the Vietnam - Mexico relationship, the ambassador proposed that the two countries promote the signing of a comprehensive partnership agreement, and complete unfinished bilateral agreements, thereby creating favourable legal conditions for expanding cooperation in all fields.

He also mentioned other potential areas of cooperation such as semiconductor technology, tourism infrastructure development, UNESCO heritage conservation, environmental protection and energy transition. These are all strategic areas that can open up many opportunities for extensive cooperation, especially in the context of the two countries moving towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly development model.

“Mexico and Vietnam are both countries with increasing status and role in the international arena. We share the aspiration to build a fair world, based on the rule of law and sustainable development. I believe that, through strengthening bilateral relations, the two countries will actively contribute to shaping a new international order where countries cooperate closely, together towards a better future,” affirmed the Ambassador.

On the occasion of the 50th diplomatic anniversary, he revealed, the Mexican Embassy in Vietnam is implementing many meaningful programmes such as an academic conference between the Vietnam Institute for American Studies (VIAS) and the National University of Autónoma de México (UNAM); Mexican Cuisine Month in May and June; the publication of the literary work El Libro Salvaje (The Wild Book) by Mexican writer Juan Villoro; and an exhibition of Mexican art at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) in September.

Mexican newspaper highlights Mexico - Vietnam diplomatic relations

Mexico's largest left-wing daily La Jornada (The Working Day) on May 3 published an article about the 50th anniversary of Mexico-Vietnam diplomatic relations, highlighting the development of the two countries' friendship and commemorative programmes on this occasion.