Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and President of Argentina Mauricio Macri have agreed to intensify the countries’ comprehensive partnership towards a strategic partnership in the future.

Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with President of Argentina Mauricio Macri before their talks in Hanoi on February 20 

They made the agreement at talks that followed an official welcome ceremony for the Argentine leader in Hanoi on February 20.

General Secretary and President Trong welcomed his guest’s first State visit to Vietnam as President of Argentina. He congratulated Argentina on its recent achievements that have helped consolidate its position as the third biggest economy in Latin America and a member of the G20.

He affirmed that Vietnam always sees Argentina as a leading Latin American partner and wants to enhance the bilateral comprehensive partnership, especially in economy, trade and investment.

The host also took this chance to thank the Argentine Government and people for their solidarity with and precious support for Vietnam during the struggle for national liberation in the past and development efforts at present.

President Macri spoke highly of Vietnam’s reform accomplishments over the last three decades, reiterating that his country is determined to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation so as to contribute to each side’s development.

At the talks, the two leaders informed each other about their respective countries’ situations and discussed measures to continue enhancing the comprehensive partnership in a substantive manner. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern.

They agreed to maintain high-level meetings and mutual visits at all levels and increase relations between the countries’ parliaments, parties and people.

They highly valued the Vietnam-Argentina Inter-Governmental Committee and the political consultation between the two foreign ministries, agreeing to continue bringing into play these mechanisms.

Vietnam and Argentina will promote negotiations on agreements in different fields and work to create a long-term legal framework for bilateral ties, the leaders said.

The talks between Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and President of Argentina Mauricio Macri in Hanoi on February 20 (Photo: VNA)

Highlighting economic links, the Presidents noted that bilateral trade reached 2.9 billion USD in 2018, doubling the figure five years ago. They agreed to further diversify trade to ensure more balanced interests, increase the trading of products with higher added value, and boost cooperation between animal and plant quarantine agencies.

The leaders also vowed to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between the two business communities through business forums and trade and investment promotion activities.

They welcomed the opening of the Vietnamese and Argentine markets to some of each other’s fruits, noting that the two sides will continue discussing the access of their strong products to each other’s markets.

Both sides will also conduct a feasibility study on a trade agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) bloc, of which Argentina is a member.

General Secretary and President Trong and President Macri affirmed that the countries will step up experience sharing, technical cooperation and knowledge and technology exchange via cooperation projects in industry, agriculture, forensic anthropology, and the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. They will also bolster ties in health care, defence, security, culture, sports, tourism and information – communications.

Vietnam and Argentina will reinforce coordination and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation, and the South-South Cooperation, according to the leaders.

Regarding international and regional issues of common concern, they shared the view that sovereignty and territorial disputes need to be resolved by peaceful means with respect for international law.

At the talks, President Macri invited General Secretary and President Trong to pay an official visit to Argentina. The Vietnamese leader accepted the invitation with pleasure.

In the presence of the two leaders, officials of the two countries signed several cooperation documents, namely an action programme on technical cooperation in the identification of martyrs’ remains between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship; a cultural exchange programme for 2019-2023 between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Argentine Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology; and a cooperation agreement between Radio the Voice of Vietnam and the Federal System of Media and Public Content of Argentina.-VNA