President Luong Cuong officially visits Chile and Peru: Strengthening political trust, exploiting room for cooperation

From November 9-16,President Luong Cuong will lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to pay official visits to the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru. This trip is not only an important milestone in bilateral relations but also aims to enhance Vietnam's role at the APEC 2024 Summit Week held in Lima, Peru.

According to the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , at the invitation of President of the Republic of Chile Gabriel Boric Font and President of the Republic of Peru Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Luong Cuong will lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to pay an official visit to the Republic of Chile from November 9-12; an official visit to the Republic of Peru and attend the 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week in Lima, Peru from November 12-16.

President Luong Cuong. (Photo: VNA)

Promoting bilateral relations with Chile and Peru

In an interview with the press ahead of the visit, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang said that this is President Luong Cuong's first overseas trip in his new position, and has special significance and importance both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Bilaterally, the visit will contribute to further consolidating traditional friendship, further enhancing political trust, effectively exploiting cooperation potential, promoting Vietnam's relations with the two countries as well as the Latin American region, and enhancing coordination with countries in responding to global challenges.

People-to-people diplomacy is a bright spot in Vietnam - Chile diplomatic relations.

Over the past years, the Vietnam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association has coordinated with relevant units to carry out many meaningful activities to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries.

The activities in many fields are not only superficial propaganda activities such as reception and celebration, but also associated with promoting economic - trade relations, culture - art, education - training, tourism... exchanging and promoting the images of Vietnam and Chile.

For Chile, this is the first visit by the President of Vietnam in 15 years, on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the historic meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and the late President Salvador Allende - the event that laid the foundation for Chile to become the first country in South America to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Chile is currently Vietnam's leading partner in the region, and the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement with Vietnam (in 2014). Two-way trade turnover has quadrupled over the past decade, reaching 1.5 billion USD in 2023. The visit will bring "new vitality" to Vietnam-Chile relations, especially in areas where the two sides have great potential for cooperation.

For Peru, this is the first official visit by a Vietnamese President, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The visit is expected to be a historic milestone, contributing to consolidating the foundation of good political relations between the two countries, enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation in potential areas, and aiming to bring the relationship to a new level.

Peru is currently Vietnam's largest foreign direct investor in Latin America; Vietnam's sixth largest trading partner in the region, while Vietnam is Peru's largest trading partner in ASEAN. Bilateral trade turnover in 2023 reached nearly 500 million USD, and in the first 7 months of this year it reached nearly 300 million USD.

Conveying the message about Vietnam's aspiration to rise in the new era

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang. (Photo: World and Vietnam Newspaper)

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang, attending the APEC Summit Week is an opportunity for the President to meet and interact with APEC Leaders, including many comprehensive strategic partners and strategic partners of Vietnam, contributing to continuously deepening relations with APEC members.

On the multilateral front, the President's participation in the APEC 2024 Summit Week, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Forum's founding, continues to affirm Vietnam's active and responsible contribution to solving regional and global issues, especially promoting the process of international economic integration, creating new momentum for regional growth; continuing to consolidate APEC's role as the leading economic forum, where 3/5 of the world's largest economies converge, accounting for about 77% of trade, 81% of foreign direct investment and 85% of tourists to Vietnam.

As the host of APEC Year 2027, this is also an opportunity for Vietnam to promote the implementation of the APEC Vision 2040 that our country initiated and participated in building with other members since 2017.

Reviewing Vietnam's outstanding contributions since becoming a member in 1998, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Hang affirmed that Vietnam will continue to participate and make active and responsible contributions at the 31st APEC Summit and related meetings as well as the APEC Business Summit with the participation of more than 1,000 leading businesses in the region.

"President Luong Cuong's participation in the APEC 2024 Summit Week and official visits to the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru is an important step in implementing Vietnam's consistent foreign policy of diversification, multilateralization, being a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community, creating new impetus to bring the Vietnam-Chile Comprehensive Partnership and the Vietnam-Peru multifaceted cooperation into a new stage of development that is more dynamic, substantive and effective, while affirming Vietnam's new mindset, increasing role and position in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang

The President will put forward many strategic and innovative proposals to further promote the role and position of APEC in international economic cooperation and connectivity, and respond to challenges facing the international community in general and the Asia-Pacific region in particular.

The President will also convey the message about the Vietnamese people's aspirations to rise up in the new era, the major orientations for development, foreign affairs and international integration of Vietnam, in which the Asia-Pacific region and the APEC Forum are among the top priorities, calling on APEC member economies and the regional business community to continue to accompany and support Vietnam in realizing the goal of becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

Speaking to reporters from the World and Vietnam newspaper, Peruvian Ambassador to Vietnam Patricia Yolanda Ráez Portocarrero said that Vietnam's investment is a key factor in strengthening bilateral relations.

Vietnamese enterprises such as Bitel (Viettel) and PetroVietnam play a key role in Peru's telecommunications and energy development. Since its establishment in 2014, Bitel has continuously expanded its telecommunications infrastructure in Peru, especially in remote areas. PetroVietnam is also actively investing in oil and gas exploitation, enhancing energy cooperation, marking Vietnam as Peru's strategic partner in this field.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-luong-cuong-tham-chinh-thuc-chile-peru-tang-cuong-tin-cay-chinh-tri-khai-thac-du-dia-hop-tac-207025.html