Mexico considered one of Vietnam's most important markets in Latin America

A Vietnamese National Assembly delegation led by Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong, member of the Party Central Committee, and NA Vice Chairman paid a working visit to Mexico from September 28-30.

The visit is designed to take Vietnam-Mexico relations to a level of Comprehensive Partnership in 2023, as well as to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 2025.

During the visit, NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong had a host of meetings with Mexican parliamentary leaders, during which the former briefed the laters on Vietnam's socio-economic development situation, and said that the purpose of the visit is to promote friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies as a contribution to strengthening and deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries in a multitude of fields.

Vietnam always attaches importance to enhancing traditional relations with Latin American countries, especially with the State, Parliament and people of Mexico, the Vietnamese NA leader said, adding that Mexico is one of the first Latin American nation to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam, at a time when the Vietnamese people had just notched up victory in the struggle for independence and national unification.

Hailing the important and positive achievements in many aspects that Mexico has recorded in recent times under the leadership of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, NA Vice Chairman Phuong emphasized that Mexico is one of Vietnam's most important partners in the Americas and hopes the relationship between the two countries will be strengthened in a deeper and more comprehensive manner in the time ahead.

According to Phuong, up to now, Vietnam-Mexico relations have reached new heights, suitable for the two countries to establish and upgrade the Comprehensive Partnership framework.

The National Assembly of Vietnam supports and hopes that the two sides will soon discuss and agree on the draft Joint Declaration on establishing the Vietnam-Mexico Comprehensive Partnership, he added.

Extending thanks to Mexico for supporting Vietnam's bid for membership of the Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, Phuong stressed that in the context of an ever-changing world, traditional friends like Vietnam and Mexico need to strengthen mutual support, thus contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world as a whole.

This is in addition to stepping up bilateral cooperation, especially economic and trade links so as to bring practical benefits to the people of the two countries.

Regarding economic-trade relations, the NA Vice Chairman stated that although bilateral trade exchange hit US$ 5.4 billion last year, the two countries need to continue to make greater efforts to increase trade turnover on a par with its inherent potential as well as their sound political ties.

On this occasion, Phuong conveyed the greetings and invitation to pay an official visit to Vietnam from National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate of Mexico.

At the meetings and working sessions with the Vietnamese delegation, Mexican leaders expressed their respect and appreciation for the visit of NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong and his delegation. They believed that the visit will make an important contribution to further reinforcing friendly relations and multi-faceted cooperation between Mexico and Vietnam as well as between the two legislative bodies.

The senior Mexican leaders affirmed that Vietnam is a leading important partner in the Southeast Asia region, and expressed their joy at the positive progress in the relationship between the two countries in recent times.

They affirmed that Mexico always desires to boost ties with Vietnam on all channels, especially stepping up bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Agreeing that the two countries still hold much potential to bolster economic, trade and investment cooperation, Mexican leaders underscored the need to beef up cooperation and capitalize the advantages brought by the CPTPP in order to further bilateral cooperation as a way of bringing practical benefits to both nations' people.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation, Phuong and Mexican parliamentart leaders consented to ramp up cooperation between the two countries' legislatures within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks, intensify the exchange of high-level delegations, continue to coordinate and support each other at multilateral parliamentary forums.

During their stay, NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong and his delegation met with Alberto Anaya Gutierres, General Secretary of the Mexican Labor Party (PT) and a number of PT members, received Navy Vice Admiral Carlos Eduador Le' Eglise, worked with representatives of the Mexico City Capital administration, and talked with Embassy staff, and Vietnamese community representatives.

Earlier, the Vietnamese delegation paid floral tribute to the President Ho Chi Minh Monument in the Ethnic Freedom Park in Mexico City.