The official website of the Parliament of Uruguay. —VNA/VNS Photo

BUENOS AIRES — Uruguay’s parliament has praised Việt Nam’s increasingly prominent role in Southeast Asia and highlighted parliamentary diplomacy as an important bridge for strengthening political, trade and cultural ties between the two countries.

The official website of General Assembly of Uruguay reported on Wednesday that an open dialogue entitled “Việt Nam–Uruguay Bilateral Relations: Challenges and Prospects” was held at the parliament’s headquarters on Tuesday.

The event brought together Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and Uruguay concurrently Ngô Minh Nguyệt and members of the Uruguay–Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group.

In his opening remarks, Víctor Aldaya, chairman of the friendship group, said the meeting takes place as the Uruguayan Government is seeking to strengthen political, trade and cultural relations with Việt Nam.

He said that parliamentary friendship groups play an essential role in promoting parliamentary diplomacy, creating channels for exchanges and fostering mutual understanding and solidarity among lawmakers and people of the two countries.

Aldaya noted that Southeast Asia is emerging as an important global centre, with Việt Nam playing a prominent role in the region.

He also said Uruguay has identified stronger multilateralism and expanded international relations as key directions of its foreign policy.

The country pursues these goals through mechanisms such as the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

For her part, Nguyệt said Việt Nam–Uruguay relations have been built on traditional friendship, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation since the two countries established diplomatic ties on August 11, 1993.

Regarding future cooperation, she highlighted the importance of advancing negotiations on a preferential trade agreement between Việt Nam and Mercosur.

Such an agreement would create more opportunities to expand markets, support industrial development and boost exchanges of agricultural products and raw materials between the two sides, she said.

The dialogue was also attended by Uruguayan Minister of Labour and Social Security Juan Castillo, lawmakers, former Montevideo government leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and other guests. — VNA/VNS