Vietnam, Argentina see vigorous growth of ties over 45 years

• Party leader sanguine about growing Vietnam-Laos solidarity
• ​Airfares in Vietnam unlikely to drop despite growing competition
• President upbeat about growing Vietnam- RoK strategic partnership

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Marcelo Faurie (L).

At their talks in Hanoi on July 30, the two diplomats said that closer political ties and trust are reflected by regular reciprocal visits between high-ranking leaders while bilateral trade exchange is on an upward trend, reaching beyond US$ 3 billion in 2017, a 10-fold increase over the past decade.

Binh Minh thanked the Argentinean side for its support for Vietnam's bid to run for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and welcomed Argentina's signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). Deputy PM Binh Minh suggested Argentina swiftly implement market opening procedures for Vietnamese fruits such as lychee, dragon fruit, longan, and mango.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh speaking at the talks.

For his part, Argentinean Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie to his host that his nation regards Vietnam as an important partner in Southeast Asia and highly appreciated Vietnam’s regional and international role and standing. He also expressed a desire to further expand the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, especially in economics, trade and technical cooperation in order to create favorable conditions for the two countries' businesses to set up their connections, thereby step by step balancing the two countries’ bilateral trade.

The two sides agreed to intensify exchange visits by senior leaders and representatives from ministries and sectors, effectively implement the Intergovernmental committee mechanism and the Deputy Foreign Minister- level political consultation mechanism, and accelerate their negotiations, signing and implementation of important bilateral cooperation documents.

They consented to promote specific cooperation programs on agriculture, pharmaceuticals, processing, manufacturing, information technology, biotechnology, security-defense and tourism, and continue to work closely and offer mutual support in international organizations and at multilateral forums.

Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Marcelo Faurie (second from left).

At the talks, the two diplomats also compared notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue.

The same day, the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship met with Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Head of the Central Committee's External Relations Commission Hoang Binh Quan and attended an opening ceremony of a regional seminar on technical cooperation in agriculture and industry in Hanoi along with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development leaders.

Jorge Faurie is on a working visit to Vietnam over July 28-31 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.