On occasion of National Day of Peru on July 28, Việt Nam News presents an article written by  Luis Tsuboyama, Chief of Mission of Peru Embassy in Việt Nam

Peru celebrates National Day

Today, we are celebrating the National day of the Republic of Peru, the 196-year anniversary of our independence. Peru is an Andean and Amazonian country in South America, multiethnic and multicultural, looking at the Pacific as a fundamental region for our future, where Việt Nam is a friend and also an important partner.

In this opportunity, I would like to review the relationship between Peru and Việt Nam since 1994 and share my optimism about future cooperation between our two countries.

The relationship between Peru and Việt Nam has been increasing substantially in different matters, among which trade and investment stand out as the most active areas.

In 2013, when the embassy of Peru was established in Hà Nội, the volume of exchange barely reached US$23 million. Now, after four years, bilateral trade has increased twenty times to reach nearly US$460 million.

With the establishment of Intergovernmental Commission on economic and technical cooperation, we hope to strengthen bilateral trade, cooperation and exchange. An example of this commercial approach is the opening of the markets for fruits from both sides, which will allow Peruvian and Vietnamese companies to export grapes, super fruits, lemons, avocados, dragon fruits and litchi for the benefits of consumers.

Lima, the capital of Peru, sits roughly at the center of the country’s lengthy coastline. This massive city has several well-known beaches.— Photo Courtesy of the Embassy of Peru

Regarding investment, PetroVietnam and Viettel have been in Peru for many years, investing in energy and telecommunications and looking to expand thanks to their positive results. I would like to mention two Peruvian companies that have invested in Việt Nam in the areas of carbonated beverages and tourism (AJE Group and AquaExpeditions), demonstrating the future potential of this country for doing business.

Additionally, last year, Peru and Việt Nam signed some cooperation agreements in terms of culture, anti-drug and fishery, which will open new platforms for both countries to enhance the cooperation in the coming years.

On tourism, we have seen incredible growth of Vietnamese tourists to Peru in only 2 years (9 times higher). It means that more and more Vietnamese people are going to Peru to discover the beautiful nature, rich history and excellent cuisine.

During the APEC Summit last year in Lima, Peru, the President of Việt Nam and President of Peru reaffirmed the continued commitments to strengthen the political, diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between the two countries. This year, APEC will be hosted in Việt Nam, and we are continuing to support Việt Nam for the success of its Presidency. We have the same vision on deepening of regional integration, improving business competitiveness and innovation and focusing on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) so as to contribute to the common economic development of all APEC member economies.

I would like to take this opportunity to convey greetings to my compatriots living in Việt Nam. We are a small community, but we feel at home because of the warmth and hospitality of our Vietnamese friends.

Finally, I would like to invite you all to celebrate along with us on this special occasion. I hope both countries will thrive together to better serve the interests of our citizens in the years to come. — VNS