Vanuatu Consulate General inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Charlot Salwai, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade of Vanuatu, emphasized that the opening of the Consulate General would help strengthen diplomatic ties as well as cooperation between Vanuatu and Vietnam.

Vanuatu considers Vietnam an important partner and wishes to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest with the Southeast Asian nation, said Salwai.

He said the opening of the office is a testament to the commitment to promoting the development and mutual understanding between the two countries, creating conditions for further enhancing their mutually beneficial cooperation.

Tran Phuoc Anh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs, recalled the close bond between Vietnam and Vanuatu that has existed since the beginning of the 20th century, and said the Vietnamese community living in Vanuatu plays an important role in promoting bilateral cooperation in economy, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

He expressed his hope that the Consulate General of Vanuatu would encourage Vietnamese businesses and people to explore new opportunities to develop tourism in Vanuatu, and at the same time popularize Vietnamese economic opportunities in the island state.

The Vietnamese community is one of the largest diaspora in Vanuatu. Many of Vietnamese expatriates there are businesspeople and influential people, making significant contributions to Vanuatu’s political, social and economic development.

Vanuatu is an island state in the South Pacific region. In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of Vietnamese, mostly from northern provinces, traveled to Vanuatu to work at plantations. By 1960, most of them had returned home, and about 500 people of Vietnamese origin are still living in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1982.