HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said he welcomes Uruguay’s proposal for a free trade agreement (FTA) with Việt Nam during his meeting with visiting Foreign Minister of Uruguay Rodolfo Nin Novoa in Hà Nội yesterday.

PM Phúc said Vietnam-Uruguay bilateral trade, while modest in value, had recorded rapid growth, adding that relevant ministries and agencies of both sides should research measures to increase trade value.

The PM noted that the two governments needed to implement signed agreements, and promptly establish a joint committee for economic, trade and investment co-operation in line with their agreement on trade and investment that took effect in April 2016.

The PM also said the two sides should work together to complete a legal framework for bilateral collaboration while encouraging their business communities to seek opportunities in each other’s market.

“Việt Nam is an open market with many opportunities for foreign investors, especially when the country officially joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal,” PM Phúc said.

Việt Nam is also willing to serve as a gateway to ASEAN for enterprises from Uruguay, Phúc added.

Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said Uruguay wished to deepen trade ties with Southeast Asian countries, particularly Việt Nam which has great economic potential.

He hoped the two countries would soon sign a free trade pact to boost trade and investment ties.

The minister asked the Vietnamese Government to further facilitate the import of goods from Uruguay, especially beef and fruit, adding that Uruguay has begun to import more goods from Việt Nam.

He suggested Việt Nam send athletes to Uruguay for training while Uruguay can send its football team to Việt Nam to boost co-operation in sport.

Joint committee on eco-trade

Việt Nam and Uruguay will work for the early establishment of a joint committee on economic, trade and investment cooperation in accordance with the Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment that took effect in April 2016.

The agreement was reached during talks between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Uruguayan FM Novoa yesterday.

The Uruguayan FM affirmed that Uruguay is pursuing a policy of diversifying ties, and considers Việt Nam a leading partner in Asia-Pacific.

Host and guest expressed their pleasure with the development of co-operation, evidenced by regular visits at all levels. The two countries have signed a number of important agreements on agriculture, agro-fisheries processing, information and biological technology, and climate change mitigation.

In order to push forward ties, they agreed to maintain regular political consultation mechanisms at deputy foreign ministerial-level.

Both sides agreed to hasten negotiations to sign agreements on customs, animal and plant quarantines and other areas, making it easier for their business communities to access each other’s market and seek partners.

They pledged to help each other to export goods to the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and ASEAN, as well as intensify bilateral links across culture, training, tourism and sports through specific projects and programmes.

The two FMs spoke highly of collaboration at international organisations and multilateral forums.

On the occasion, Minh expressed his thanks to the Uruguayan government for backing Việt Nam’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-21 tenure and for recognising Việt Nam as a market economy.

He wished that the two countries would increase experience sharing in joining multilateral mechanisms, the UN peacekeeping force, and bilateral and multilateral economic-trade negotiations.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, they promised to promote co-ordination between ASEAN and MERCOSUR.

As regards the East Sea issue, they agreed on the need to settle sovereignty disputes by peaceful means, refraining from the use of force or threat to use force, respecting diplomatic and legal process in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. VNS