National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ (left) is welcomed by Argentinean President Alberto Angel Fernandez in Buenos Aires on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

BUENOS AIRES — Việt Nam always attaches importance to the relationship with Argentina, one of its leading partners in Latin America, said National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ at a meeting with Argentinean President Alberto Angel Fernandez in Buenos Aires on Monday (local time).

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that his visit aimed to further develop the Vietnam-Argentina Comprehensive Partnership on all channels in a more practical and effective manner, towards a Strategic Partnership in industry, agriculture, and energy for the benefit of the two peoples as well as for peace, cooperation and development in the two regions.

Huệ congratulated President Alberto A. Fernandez on his success in COVID-19 control, economic recovery, and improving people's lives and social security.

Informing the host about the results of his talks with President of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina Cecilia Moreau, NA Chairman Huệ said the two sides agreed to implement specific measures to promote parliamentary cooperation, ties in politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, sports-football, science-technology, as well as locality-to-locality cooperation.

The two sides held that over the past time the Vietnam-Argentina Comprehensive Partnership had developed positively, substantively and effectively in many fields, from politics-diplomacy, economy and trade, to education, agriculture and justice.

The nations had maintained delegation exchanges and high-level contacts; and effectively promoted cooperation mechanisms such as the Inter-governmental Committee and the political consultation between the two foreign ministries.

Both sides showed their pleasure with the increasing two-way trade turnover, reaching more than US$4.8 billion in 2022, which continued to be a bright spot in the bilateral relationship. Argentina is currently the third largest trading partner of Việt Nam in Latin America while Việt Nam is Argentina’s 5th largest important export market in Asia.

They agreed to further deepen political-diplomatic relations and people-to-people exchanges, while taking advantage of their products that can complement each other to bring bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2025.

At the same time, they would expand cooperation in new fields such as high-tech industry, digital transformation, innovation, climate change response, and sustainable growth; and strengthen cooperation between localities, thus pushing the comprehensive implementation of the Việt Nam-Argentina cooperation, towards the establishment of a Strategic Partnership in agriculture, industry and energy.

NA Chairman Huệ emphasised that strengthening cooperation between the two legislatures would make an important contribution to promoting bilateral relations in general as well as establishing and implementing a favourable legal corridor between the two countries in particular.

He proposed Argentina increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, push for the start of negotiations on a MERCOSUR-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement, and promote the effective and regular implementation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Inter-governmental Committee and the political consultation between the two foreign ministries.

He suggested the Latin American country create favourable conditions for Việt Nam's key agricultural products to enter the Argentinean market, thereby balancing the bilateral trade in a long term and sustainable way.

President Alberto A. Fernandez affirmed that the Argentinean Government appreciated Việt Nam’s increasing reputation and position in the region and in the world. He affirmed that the two countries still saw great potential for cooperation, especially in agriculture, science and technology, energy, and climate change response.

He stressed the need for the two governments to continue paying attention to creating favourable conditions for each country's key agricultural products to access each other's market, step up trade promotion activities, and connect businesses.

On this occasion, Huệ also conveyed President Võ Văn Thưởng’s invitation to President Alberto Fernandez to visit Việt Nam at an appropriate time. The Argentinean President accepted the invitation. — VNA/VNS