Vietnam bolsters parliamentary cooperation with Argentina and Chile

During a working session with the Vietnamese NA delegation, Luciana Termine, chairperson of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies’ committee for external relations and international cooperation expressed her deep condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam on the recent passing of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

With regard to the relationship between Argentina and the nation, Termine highlighted the increasingly deep parliamentary co-operation that exists between the two countries at bilateral forums, as well as within the framework of international inter-parliamentary forums, thereby helping to propel bilateral ties moving forwards.

Thanh hailed the friendship and collaboration in a multitude of fields between both sides over the past 50 years, as well as the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership in 2010, and expressed his wish to further strengthen bilateral ties, especially in both nations’ parliamentary activities.

The Vietnamese official emphasised that Argentina is one of the country’s most important economic partners in Latin America, proposing accelerating negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the nation and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) bloc. This would further promote economic, trade, and investment exchanges as a contribution to further expanding trade turnover between the country and Mercosur member states in general and with Argentina in particular.

Thanh affirmed that both sides still boast huge potential to expand co-operation in areas such as agriculture, industry, cultural exchange, education, sports, and football exchanges, and proposed opening a direct flight between the two countries to boost investment, trade, and tourism.

As part of this occasion, the National Congress of Argentina launched the Argentina-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, chaired by Santiago Pauli.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Ngo Minh Nguyet stated that over the past five decades joint ties have continuously developed and expanded across multiple fields, ranging through all channels, from the Party, State, National Assembly to people-to-people exchanges.

Ambassador Nguyet applauded the parliamentary co-operation between the two countries, as well as at international inter-parliamentary forums, which has significantly contributed to bringing the mutual relationship to a new level. Indeed, it now enjoys a more substantive and effective co-operation framework, with the diplomat expressing hope that the two countries' legislatures will continue to maintain exchanges of high-level delegations, as well as working delegations of committees.

Pauli pledged to contribute to deepening the co-operative relations with Vietnam, Argentina's leading trade partner, with a trade turnover of nearly US$3.5 billion in 2023, and expressed a wish to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries in the fields of industry and agriculture in the near future.

Congressman Pauli also highly appreciated the average Vietnamese economic growth rate of 6% per year over the past decade, making it one of the most dynamic countries in Southeast Asia and the world, with rapidly increasing purchasing power and consumption levels.

During their stay in Argentina, the Vietnamese NA delegation laid wreaths at the Ho Chi Minh Monument, at Vietnam Park in capital Buenos Aires, as well as visiting some business models around Buenos Aires province.

Previously, during the working trip to Chile, the Vietnamese delegation had a host of working sessions with Karol Cariola, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, and other parliamentary leaders.

At the meeting, Cariola expressed his condolences and deepest sympathies to the Government and people of Vietnam on the passing of the late Party General Secretary Trong.

Both sides highly appreciated the positive developments made in the joint relationship over the years which was nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh and the late President Salvador Allende, as well as the attention of generations of leaders of the two countries to the sound relationship.

They were pleased to note that the Comprehensive Partnership has made positive progress. After the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides have since resumed visits at all levels and high-level contacts, including a visit by former President Michelle Bachelet in March, 2023, on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations (March 25, 1971).

The two sides agreed to continue augmenting linkages between the two law-making bodies as well as their agencies, intensifying delegation exchanges, sharing experience in parliamentary activities, especially co-ordinating to create a legal framework for investment activities and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

They consented to continue enhancing the role of the legislative body in the process of promoting bilateral relations and the role of the Parliamentary Friendship Group. The two countries' parliaments will therefore continue to closely collaborate at multilateral parliamentary forums.

During the working session with the Vietnamese delegation Maria Teresa Vial, president of the Santiago de Chile Chamber of Commerce, affirmed that the Chilean side will continue to support Vietnamese enterprises in seeking trade opportunities with Chilean partners across multiple fields, especially agriculture, aquaculture, renewable energy and processing industry, as well as promoting import and export activities to take advantage of the incentives of the Vietnam - Chile FTA.

The delegation also laid a wreath at Ho Chi Minh Park in Cerro Navia district of Santiago de Chile city.