Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and Uruguay Dương Quốc Thanh. — VNA/VNS Photo

BUENOS AIRES — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vương Đình Huệ’s visits to Argentina and Uruguay are expected to create new motivation for the growth of ties between Việt Nam and the two Latin American countries, stated Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and Uruguay Dương Quốc Thanh.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Ambassador Thanh said the visits, spanning from April 23-28, are the most important highlights of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Argentina and 30-year ties with Uruguay.

These are the first by a high-ranking leader of Việt Nam to Argentina since 2010 and also the first to Uruguay since the two countries set up their diplomatic relations, he said.

According to the diplomat, Argentina was one of the first three Latin American countries to set up diplomatic relations with Việt Nam, after Cuba and Chile, before Việt Nam’s reunification in 1975.

In the late 1990s, the two countries opened embassies in each other's capitals and their bilateral relations developed increasingly and comprehensively in the fields of politics, economy, culture and people-to-people exchange.

In 2010, the two sides lifted their relations to a comprehensive partnership, paving the way for the breakthrough growth in their trade ties with two-way trade surging to US$4.8 billion in 2022 from only $918 million in 2010, making Việt Nam the fourth largest trade partner of Argentina in Asia and turning Argentina into the third most important trade partner of Việt Nam in the Latin American region.

In the overall bilateral relations, parliamentary diplomacy plays an outstanding role with a high-level visit of NA Chairman Nguyễn Văn An in 2006 and those by NA Vice Chairmen Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân and Đỗ Bá Tỵ in 2014 and 2018, respectively. The visits contributed to strengthening mutual understanding between leaders and peoples of the two sides, enabling the two countries to share experience on the role of the parliament in law-building and supervision activities, helping create a favourable legal corridor for the bilateral economic relations.

Amid the unexpectedly changing international situation, the relationship between Việt Nam and Argentina is considered a model for the South-South partnership and boasts great development potential.

The strengths of the two countries can supplement each other, especially in agriculture, mining, science and technology. The ongoing visit by NA Chairman Huệ, who is being accompanied with leaders of many ministries, sectors and localities, is believed to create momentum for the two countries to make better use of their potential, making their relationship more substantive and effective for the benefit of the two peoples and for peace and stability in each region as well as in the world.

Meanwhile, Uruguay, despite its small population of only over three million, is the Latin American country with highest per-capita income and the leading in trade liberalisation among Southern Common Market (Mercosur) members. Việt Nam and Uruguay have shared many common economic interest and showed mutual support at international forums.

The Vietnamese top legislator’s visit aims to not only promote the partnership between the two countries and the two legislatures, but also to strengthen bilateral parliamentary diplomacy with talks with Mercosur Parliament President and Vice Presidents representing member countries.

Uruguay will show the special respect to NA Chairman Huệ, as the Montevideo City Council will award the title of Honourary Citizen of the city to the Vietnamese top legislator. Alongside, Uruguay has also repeatedly expressed its interest to strengthen relations with localities of Việt Nam.

Ambassador Thanh said that Việt Nam and Argentina and Uruguay shared the interest to strengthen their comprehensive cooperation to match each other’s potential.

Due to lack of information of each other and mutual understanding, cooperation opportunities and potential between Việt Nam and the two Latin American countries have yet to be fully tapped. NA Chairman Huệ’s visit is considered an important stepping stone for Việt Nam to get closer to Argentina and Uruguay in particular and Latin American countries in general, thus effectively implementing Việt Nam’s policy of diversifying and multilateralising economic and trade relations, enhancing the country’s position in the global supply and production chains, he said.

The visits also meet the aspirations of the two Latin American countries in bolstering economic relations with Asia, for which Việt Nam is willing to act as a bridge, stated the diplomat. — VNS