Argentine President Mauricio Macri has affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of Argentina and his ongoing visit to the Southeast Asian country aims to consolidate bilateral relations and seek more cooperation opportunities to bring benefits to the people of both nations.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) during his State visit to Vietnam from February 19-21, President Macri said he was happy to return to Vietnam after 11 years since his first trip as Mayor of Buenos Aires and thanked the Vietnam people for their warm welcome.

Vietnam is the Southeast Asian nation which has the most cooperation initiatives with Argentina, he said, adding that the two countries have cooperated together effectively in ensuring human rights. Argentina has also assisted Vietnam in the search for and identification of martyrs, he added.

Noting with pleasure the fact that Vietnam is currently the fifth largest trade partner of Argentina in the world and the second in Asia, President Macri said the two countries still hold much potential to boost bilateral trade, particularly in agriculture.

Regarding the outcomes of his talks with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong, he said that the two leaders had reviewed the bilateral cooperation agreement and agreed to set up the strategic partnership to foster trade, investment and cultural collaboration.

President Macri hoped that Argentina would export more agricultural products to Vietnam such as citrus, pork, tomato seeds, cherry and soybean flour.

Potential has yet to be fully tapped in the fields of defence and telecoms and in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the President said, hoping that Vietnam’s technology enterprises will invest in telecoms projects in Argentina.

The Argentine Government will support its businesses to expand market and investment in the Southeast Asian nation, he affirmed, adding that representatives of 50 Argentine businesses are accompanying him during the visit and attending the Vietnam-Argentina Business Forum.

President Macri took the occasion to invite General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong to visit Argentina.

Argentine President concludes Vietnam visit

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes President Mauricio Macri

President Mauricio Macri, his spouse and the high-ranking Argentine delegation wrapped up their three-day State visit to Vietnam on February 21, which was made at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong.

During his stay, President Macri held talks with his host Trong and met Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

He attended the Vietnam-Argentina Business Forum and granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency.

On the occasion, the Argentine leader and his entourage laid flowers at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi.

At the talks and meetings, the two sides briefed each other of the situation in each country and discussed orientations and measures to continue making the Vietnam-Argentina comprehensive partnership deeper, more effective and practical. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared interest.

Both sides agreed to work together towards a bilateral strategic partnership.

Leaders of Vietnam and Argentina concurred to maintain high-level meetings and delegation exchanges at all levels, from central to local, while strengthening partnership between the two parliaments, parties as well as people-to-people exchange.

They will continue promoting the efficiency the Vietnam-Argentina Inter-Governmental Committee and the political consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, while speeding up negotiations on agreements in various fields and paying greater attention to creating long-term legal framework for the bilateral ties.

The two sides agreed to strengthen and diversify economic and trade cooperation towards balanced interest of the two sides, while increasing the exchange of products with higher added value as well as the collaboration between fauna and flora quarantine agencies of both sides.

Vietnam and Argentina will promote dialogue and cooperation among business communities of both sides through business forums and trade and investment promotion activities.

Leaders of Vietnam and Argentina also concurred to conduct a feasibility study on negotiations for a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

They will foster ties in health care, defence, security, culture, tourism, and communications. They will continue cooperating and supportingeach other at international organizations and multilateral forums, especially the UN, the World Trade Organisation, the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), and South-South Cooperation.

Regarding international and regional matters of mutual concern, the two sides agreed that sovereignty and territorial disputes must be settled through peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law.

During the visit, in the witness of CPV General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and Argentine President Mauricio Macri, leaders of ministries and sectors of both sides signed a number of agreements, including a joint action programme on technical cooperation in verifying 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 between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of Argentina for the 2019-2020 period; and a cooperation deal between Radio The Voice of Vietnam and Argentina's Federal System of Public Media and Content.

VNA