Argentine Ambassador to Việt Nam Marcos Bednarski writes to Việt Nam News for Argentina's National Day on May 25.

Today we commemorate a new anniversary of the establishment of our first independent government on 25 May 1810, starting the process that led to the declaration of Argentina's independence from Spain on 9 July 1816.

Argentina was one of the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with Việt Nam in 1973. A comprehensive partnership took effect in 2010, allowing our bilateral relations to flourish with positive outcomes in many fields.

The open market and austerity policies implemented by President Javier Milei, who took office in December 2023, gave an additional impulse to our exchanges, through measures cementing a significant economic rebound and drastically reducing inflation. Key policies included the consolidation of a strict primary fiscal surplus, deregulating sectors, reducing public spending, minimising bureaucracy and implementing large-scale investment incentives in order to promote private-sector-led growth.

Ambassador Marcos Bednarski (centre) meeting with Director General of the Vietnam National Library on August 19, 2025 as part of the preparations for the National Tango Day 2025 celebration. Photo Courtesy of the embassy

These measures had a direct impact on bilateral trade between Argentina and Việt Nam in 2025, reinforcing its upward trend and reaching nearly US$4.3 billion. It reaffirms Việt Nam's position as a strategic partner for Argentina in Southeast Asia.

Argentina continues consolidating its position not only as a provider of animal feed, but also of high-quality products, such as beef and wine as well as industrial products like animal health vaccines and biotechnological pharmaceuticals.

We have continued performing an active bilateral agenda during 2025 and the first months of 2026.

In July 2025 we opened an Agro-industrial Attaché Office at the Argentine Embassy in Hà Nội, a clear sign of the relevance we place on expanding cooperation in this field. The bilateral Technical Cooperation Programme is the highlight, with more than 15 projects implemented to date through the Argentine Fund for International Cooperation.

Việt Nam is one of the leading countries with which Argentina has the largest number of technical assistance and knowledge exchange projects. We are continuing the market opening negotiation process for new products.

For the purpose of disseminating the ongoing process of innovation developed by the Argentine National Institute of Agricultural Technology, the photographic exhibition 'Agri-Technology from Argentina to the world' has been presented in Hà Nội.

The VIII Argentina-Việt Nam Intergovernmental Committee on Economy and Trade took place in October with fruitful exchanges in many areas in which we share mutual interest in expanding our ties. Just to mention a few: agro-industry and Agtech; animal health; digital economy; satellite technology; and renewable energy, among others.

With the support of the Việt Nam National Space Centre, the Argentine microsatellite Atenea was successfully launched alongside NASA's Artemis II mission on April 1, 2026, making Argentina the only Latin American country selected for this historic mission.

Participants at the tourism promotion workshop with Viet Global Travel pose for a photo at the Argentinian ambassador's residence on November 27, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Argentine Embassy

A new chapter in the negotiations of a Preferential Trade Agreement between the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Việt Nam will take place in the near future, with both sides aiming to conclude it as soon as possible. Argentina took the task of coordinating this process.

On 11 December 2025 we celebrated Tango National Day by organising a milonga at the National Library of Việt Nam in Hà Nội, with a crowd of Tango lovers dancing through the night. Tango is part of Argentina's identity, being a dance full of sensuality, elegance and nostalgia. The first edition of Tango Championship Việt Nam was held as well in Hà Nội. It is rewarding to observe Vietnamese society fully engaged in this passion.

2026 will bring us an extra excitement: in a few days a new edition of football's World Cup will take place. The Argentine national football team is currently the reigning world champion, so we will have the hard task of defending the title. This is one of the most motivating subjects for Argentine society. There is no doubt that our country will stand in support of our team and Vietnamese fans will join.

Aside from the longstanding relationship between Argentina and Việt Nam that is anchored in trade, as our economies are complementary, progressively we are finding new chapters to strengthen and diversify our exchanges.

In this period of dramatic changes that are facing the world, our main challenge is to continue working even closer together, to provide our societies with a better understanding of each other and expand the fundamentals for a better quality of life. VNS