Vietnam always attaches importance to its traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership with Argentina, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said to the Argentinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Santiago Andrés Cafiero, in Hanoi on July 11

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Argentinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Santiago Andrés Cafiero. Photo: VNA

Vietnam has always treasured and remembered the solidarity and traditional friendship that the Argentinean people reserved for their Vietnamese counterparts in the past struggle for national liberation and the current cause of national construction, reflected by the Argentinean Government’s donation of 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam in November 2021, PM Chinh said

He expressed his belief that Cafiero’s visit would contribute to strengthening and developing the Vietnam – Argentina comprehensive partnership for the sake of their people and contributing to peace, stability and development in the two regions and the world as well.

The PM noted with pleasure the fruitful outcomes of the talks between the two foreign ministers in the morning of the same day and asked the two sides to closely coordinate with each other to promote high-level visits and meetings and build plans to organise celebrations for the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties (October 25, 1973 – 2023).

He requested the two sides to enhance the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms such as the Inter-Government Committee for Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation and the Political Consultation between the two foreign ministries; and maintain bilateral coordination and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, thereby contributing positively to dealing with regional and global issues.

PM Chinh spoke highly of the growth of two-way trade which reached USD 4.5 billion in 2021, adding that Argentina continued to be the third biggest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America.

He proposed Argentina create favourable conditions for Vietnam’s goods to enter the Argentinean market, especially agro-forestry-aquatic products, and agreed to Argentina’s proposals on cooperation in energy development and hi-tech agriculture.

The government leader also suggested Argentina, which has advantages in science and technology, to increase technical assistance, technology transfer and share its experience with Vietnam in sustainable agricultural development, ensuring energy security, energy transition in response to climate change, and digital transformation.

The two countries should also step up cooperation in the fields of culture – sports, security – defence and people-to-people exchange, he added.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan (fourth from left) and Argentinean Ambassador to Vietnam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino (fourth from right) at the handover ceremony in 2021. Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn

Cafiero congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements in the renewal process and the fight against Covid-19, and expressed his belief in the country’s post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development programme, thus maintaining macroeconomy and ensuring social security and sustainable development.

He affirmed that the Argentinean Government attaches great importance to Vietnam’s growing role and position in the region and the world, and wants to bring the bilateral comprehensive partnership to a new height.

The minister also pledged to urge Argentinean ministries and sectors to coordinate with the Vietnamese side to concretise PM Chinh’s proposals, thereby making the bilateral friendship and multifaceted cooperation more practical and effective, towards building a strategic partnership in the spheres of energy and agriculture.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his Argentinean counterpart Santiago Andrés Cafiero agreed on orientations and measures to enhance the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

As Vietnam and Argentina will celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties next year, the countries organises activities marking this occasion. In May in Hanoi, the Argentina's embassy successfully organised an Argentinian culture week.

The cooperation between Argentina and Vietnam is developing well since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973 as well as in the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The two sides successfully organised the eighth political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level in May 2021 and the seventh meeting of the joint Government Committee on Economics, Trade and Investment in August 2021. The seventh meeting of the Argentina-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Science and Technology Cooperation was held virtually in October last year.

Trade has been a bright spot after the two countries established a comprehensive partnership in 2010 with an increase in two-way exchange turnover from USD 1 billion to nearly USD 4 billion in 2020. Last year, two-way trade surpassed USD 4.5 billion, up 14.1% year-on-year. Vietnam is Argentina’s third largest trade partner in Asia and a key partner in the South-South cooperation pact.

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