General
Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and President of Argentina Mauricio
Macri. (Photo: Duy Linh)
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During his
stay in the Southeast Asian country, President Macri and General Secretary of
the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Nguyen Phu Trong held talks,
highlighting the significance of cooperation in politics, economy, trade, and
technology, according to the statement.
The leaders
agreed to deepen the bilateral comprehensive partnership towards a strategic
partnership.
They also
consented to maintain high-ranking meetings and promote delegation exchanges at
all levels between their legislative bodies as well as other agencies, in order
to consolidate the political and institutional ties between the two countries.
Both sides
highly valued the results of the sixth meeting of the Vietnam-Argentina
Intergovernmental Committee on Economy and Trade that took place in the
Argentine capital city of Buenos Aires on October 2018, and concurred to
maintain the mechanism to reap specific outcomes.
Host and
guest noted with pleasure the recent achievements recorded in economic and
trade cooperation, and shared the view that more efforts are needed to enhance
and diversify the bonds, as well as balance the interests of both sides through
the Intergovernmental Committee, trade missions, and mutual visits.
The two sides
will enhance the exchange of higher value-added products, boost collaboration
between plant and animal quarantine agencies in the sphere of market access,
and continue with technical cooperation and support.
Argentina
wants to join hands with Vietnam in bio-technology to serve agriculture,
according to the joint statement. Both also spoke highly of the agreement to
open the market up for four kinds of fruit from each country.
The leaders
also agreed to promote tourism collaboration to bring about economic benefits
to both sides and contribute to improving understanding and mutual trust
between the people of the two countries. As such, they lauded the two
countries’ consideration of applying some measures to facilitate the
immigration of their citizens.
They said a
trade agreement between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) would
generate positive economic impacts, and consented to carry out a feasibility
study on the deal’s negotiations.
Both
highlighted the marked contributions of technical cooperation to the bilateral
relationship. They also took note of the cooperation programme with 15 projects
financed by the Argentine Fund for South South and Triangular Cooperation
(FOAR), focusing on industry, agriculture, and forensic anthropology.
The Argentine
side stressed that its most intensive and extensive technical partnership in
Southeast Asia was with Vietnam.
The two
leaders expressed interest in cooperation over using atomic energy for peaceful
purposes and highlighted the cooperation potential in the production of
research reactors, as well as the application of atomic energy in healthcare
through Argentina’s INVAP agency and Vietnam’s research institutes operating in
the field of atomic energy.
They hoped to
boost cooperative relations in defence, including the early signing of a
memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation in the coming
time.
The two sides
stressed the importance of cooperation and information exchange in the
prevention of cross-border crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, money
laundering, and human trafficking. They also highlighted the significance of
participating in addressing global security and order matters through the two
nations’ relevant agencies, looking toward to pushing negotiations for a
cooperation agreement between the two governments on trans-national organised
crime prevention and another on preventing, combating, and investigating human
trafficking, alongside supporting and protecting victims in 2019.
In order to
strengthen and expand cultural relations, the two leaders agreed to promote a
cultural exchange programme in the 2019-2023 period.
They also
encouraged collaboration in sports through increasing information exchanges in
international sports events.
The two sides
agreed to continue closely coordinating and supporting each other at
multilateral forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations (UN),
the Forum of East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), and South-South
cooperation forums.
The
Vietnamese side thanked Argentina for supporting Vietnam to run for the
position of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021
tenure.
The two sides
agreed that disputes over sovereignty and territorial matters should be
resolved by peaceful means on the basis of international law.
Vietnam and
Argentina reaffirmed the importance of building a free, open, and rule-based
multilateral trade system which ensures inclusive interests,
non-discrimination, and equality, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) being
the focus.
The two sides
supported working together to improve WTO operations, including mechanisms for
negotiating, monitoring, and resolving disputes to properly handle challenges
and bring benefits for all people and businesses.
The
modernisation of the WTO operations should be done for the benefit of all
members, especially taking into account the needs and interests of developing
countries.
The two
leaders also expressed their satisfaction with the signing of cooperation
agreements in the fields of culture, forensics, and mass media as well as
collaboration between the two chambers of commerce.
President
Mauricio Macri invited President Nguyen Phu Trong to pay an official visit to
Argentina. President Trong accepted the invitation with pleasure and asked the
two sides to arrange the visit through diplomatic channels.
Source: NDO