According to the organisers, the Vietnam-Chile friendship meeting is a major event to review more than five decades of cooperation, solidarity and development between the two countries, and serves as an important basis for further strengthening and expanding comprehensive cooperation in the coming period.

At the event, VUFO President Phan Anh Son said that as early as the 1960s, when Vietnam was in its struggle for independence and national reunification, solidarity movements in Chile developed strongly. The Chile-Vietnam Cultural Institute was established in 1965 with the aim of supporting the just cause of the Vietnamese people.

In that context, the image of Salvador Allende, then President of the Chilean Senate and later President of Chile, visiting Vietnam in May 1969 at the height of the war, became a special symbol of standing on the side of justice. His meeting with President Ho Chi Minh represented the convergence of visions, aspirations and belief in the future of the two nations. On that foundation, Chile became the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1971.

Over the past decades, Vietnam-Chile relations have made important progress in both breadth and depth. The establishment of a Comprehensive Partnership in 2007 created a stable, long-term framework for cooperation. The free trade agreement signed in 2011, Vietnam’s first with a Latin American country, opened up new opportunities for economic cooperation.

Today, bilateral trade reaches nearly US$2 billion per year. Both countries are also making effective use of multilateral frameworks such as the CPTPP, not only to promote trade but also to take part in shaping new cooperation standards.

Notably, the official visit to Chile by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong in 2024 created new momentum. New areas of cooperation, including green growth, digital transformation, clean energy and the development of strategic minerals such as lithium, show that the two countries are working for both the present and the long term in a rapidly changing world.

Phan Anh Son said that over the years, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association, together with the Chilean Embassy in Vietnam and Chilean partners, have persistently promoted people-to-people exchanges, contributing to a solid foundation for bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that the Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and Chile will continue to grow in a more substantive and effective manner.

Nasly Bernal Prado, Chile’s Ambassador to Vietnam, said she was honoured to attend the event and noted that the meeting marks the history of solidarity, friendship, mutual respect and cooperation, beginning with the historic 1969 meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and Salvador Allende. That meeting helped connect two geographically distant nations into close partners sharing common values, aspirations and visions for development and international peace.

The ambassador said Vietnam has established itself as one of Chile’s key trade partners in Southeast Asia, while Chile has long been an important partner of Vietnam in Latin America. Bilateral trade has grown steadily, creating a diverse and complementary trade structure that shows mutually beneficial cooperation between the two economies.

In recent years, high-level visits between the two countries have helped strengthen political dialogue and open up new areas of cooperation. These visits have reaffirmed a shared commitment to further deepen relations based on trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Vietnam continues to strengthen its position as one of Asia’s most dynamic economies, while Chile reaffirms its commitment to openness, multilateralism and interregional cooperation. Both countries share a deep belief in the importance of a rules-based international system, respect for international law, and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable development.

The ambassador expressed confidence that relations between Chile and Vietnam, built on a solid foundation of friendship, understanding and cooperation, hold strong potential for further development.

The two countries will continue to deepen ties in ways that benefit both sides and contribute to bringing Latin America and Southeast Asia closer together.

Vietnam, Chile pledge to enhance comprehensive partnership

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang received her Chilean counterpart Gloria de la Fuente on October 24, affirming that Chilean delegation's presence to attend the Hanoi Convention's signing ceremony demonstrates Chile’s strong commitment to joining international efforts in combating cybercrime.

Fruit imports from US and Chile surge in Vietnam amid overall decline

VOV.VN - Contrary to the general downward trend in fruit imports, shipments of fruits from the United States and Chile to Vietnam have recorded a significant increase in recent months.