National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ and Acting Mayor of Uruguay's capital city Montevideo Mauricio Zunino witness the signing of the letter of intent between HCM City and Montevideo on April 27. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ had a meeting with Mauricio Zunino, Acting Mayor of Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay, on April 27 (local time).

The Montevideo leader expressed his belief that NA Chairman Huệ’s visit, the most important activity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Việt Nam-Uruguay diplomatic relations, will contribute to further deepening bilateral relations.

To mark this milestone, the city will sign a letter of intent on cooperation with HCM City, he said, underlining that the first cooperation deal between localities of the two countries will open up new collaboration prospects for partnership among other Vietnamese and Uruguayan localities.

Mauricio Zunino expressed his hope to learn from Việt Nam’s development experience, revealing that the city is considering a suitable location to name it after a place of Việt Nam.

NA Chairman Huệ said that the visit, his first to Uruguay as the Vietnamese NA leader, aims to promote bilateral partnership through not only the parliamentary channel but also the Party, Government, local and people-to-people ones.

He briefed the host on his meetings with leaders of the Uruguay Parliament, underlining that for the first time, Việt Nam has signed a cooperation agreement with both the Senate and House of Representatives of Uruguay to bolster bilateral parliamentary partnership in the time to come.

During high-level meetings and meetings between his entourage members and their Uruguayan counterparts, the two sides agreed on orientations to boost bilateral ties in politics, diplomacy, defence, security, economy, trade, and investment, as well as collaboration among localities, tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

The two sides concurred to work together to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) in which Uruguay is a member.

Despite its small population, Uruguay has a high level of development and high per capita income, he noted, holding that there is plenty of room for the two sides to cooperate.

Underlining the important role of Montevideo as an economic locomotive of Uruguay and a gateway for the Latin American to the world, NA Chairman Huệ expressed his impression that the city has been listed as the most liveable in South America and Latin American region.

He lauded the signing of the letter of intent between HCM City and Montevideo, which pays the way for the official partnership between the two sides. He said he hopes Montevideo’s connection with HCM City, one of the leading economic hubs of Việt Nam, will help promote trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.

The naming of a location of Montevideo after a Vietnamese place will also contribute to deepening the friendship and understanding between the two peoples.

On the occasion, NA Chairman Huệ and Acting Mayor Mauricio Zunino witnessed the signing of the letter of intent between HCM City and Montevideo.

Acting Mayor Mauricio Zunino also presented the title of Honorary Guest of Montevideo to NA Chairman Huệ in recognition of the Vietnamese leader’s contributions to the reinforcement of cooperation between the two countries as well as during Vietnam’s national construction and development.

He said that people of Montevideo and Uruguay always admire Vietnamese people for their bravery in national defence and development.

NA Chairman Huệ thanked the city for the title, affirming that Việt Nam never forgets the support and whole-hearted help from people in Latin American countries, including Uruguay, during the past struggle for independence and the current national defence and construction. — VNS