General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng (r) receives Argentine President Mauricio Macri on February 20 in Hà Nội.  — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Argentina have issued a joint statement on the occasion of the state visit to Việt Nam by Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his spouse from February 19-21.

During his stay in the Southeast Asian country, President Macri and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng held talks, highlighting the significance of co-operation in politics, economy, trade and technology, per the statement.

The leaders agreed to deepen the bilateral comprehensive partnership towards a strategic partnership.

They also agreed to maintain high-ranking meetings and promote delegation exchanges between their legislative bodies as well as other agencies to consolidate the ties between the two countries.

Both sides highly valued the results of the sixth meeting of the Việt Nam-Argentina Intergovernmental Committee on Economy and Trade that took place in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on October 2018, and agreed to maintain mechanisms to reap specific outcomes.

Host and guest noted with pleasure recent achievements recorded in economic and trade co-operation, and decided more efforts are needed to enhance and diversify the bonds, as well as balance the interests of both sides through the Intergovernmental Committee, trade missions and mutual visits.

The two sides will enhance the exchange of higher value-added products, boost collaboration between plant and animal quarantine agencies and continue with technical co-operation and support.

Argentina wants to work with Việt Nam in bio-technology to serve agriculture, according to the joint statement. Both also lauded the agreement to open the market up for four kinds of fruit from each country.

The leaders also agreed to promote tourism collaboration to bring economic benefits to both sides and improve understanding and mutual trust between the peoples of the two countries. As such, they praised the two countries’ consideration of applying measures to facilitate the immigration of their citizens.

They said a trade agreement between Việt Nam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) would bring positive economic impacts and agreed to run a feasibility study on the deal’s negotiations.

Both highlighted the contributions of technical co-operation to the bilateral relationship. They also noted the co0operation programme with 15 projects financed by the Argentine Fund for South-South and Triangular Co-operation (FOAR), focusing on industry, agriculture and forensic anthropology.

The Argentine side stressed that its most intensive and extensive technical partnership in Southeast Asia was with Việt Nam.

The two leaders expressed interest in co-operation in using atomic energy for peaceful purposes and highlighted the co-operation potential in the production of research reactors, as well as the application of atomic energy in healthcare through Argentina’s INVAP agency and Việt Nam’s atomic energy research institutes.

They hoped to boost co-operative relations in defence, including the early signing of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence co-operation.

The two sides stressed the importance of co-operation and information exchange in preventing cross-border crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. They also highlighted the significance of participating in addressing global security and order matters, looking toward to pushing negotiations for a co-operation deal between the two governments on trans-national organised crime prevention and another on preventing, combating and investigating human trafficking.

To strengthen and expand cultural relations, the two leaders agreed to promote a cultural exchange programme in 2019-23.

They also encouraged collaboration in sports through increasing information exchanges at international sports events.

The two sides agreed to continue supporting each other at multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations (UN), the Forum of East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) and South-South co-operation forums.

The Vietnamese side thanked Argentina for supporting Việt Nam to run for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2020-21.

The two sides agreed that disputes over sovereignty and territorial matters should be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

Việt Nam and Argentina reaffirmed the importance of building a free, open, and rule-based multilateral trade system which ensures inclusive interests, non-discrimination and equality, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) the focus.

The two sides supported working together to improve WTO operations, including mechanisms for negotiating, monitoring and resolving disputes to properly handle challenges and bring benefits for all people and businesses.

The modernisation of the WTO operations should be done for the benefit of all members, especially accounting for the needs and interests of developing countries.

The two leaders also expressed satisfaction with the signing of co-operation agreements in culture, forensics and mass media as well as collaboration between the two chambers of commerce.

President Mauricio Macri invited President Nguyễn Phú Trọng to visit Argentina. President Trọng accepted the invitation with pleasure and asked the two sides to arrange the visit through diplomatic channels. — VNS