Deepening comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Chile
09/11/2017 302At the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is paying a State visit to Vietnam from November 8 to 9, as she attends the 2017 APEC Summit in Da Nang city. The visit marks a new milestone in the friendly relations and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Chile.
Chile is a South American country with an area of more than 750,000 square kilometres and a population of over 18 million. Chile is a republic, with the president being the head of state and leading the Government. President Bachelet was elected to the position for the first time in 2006-2010, becoming the first female head of state in the history of Chile, before being re-elected as the President for the 2014-2018 term. Chile has a developed economy and a strong financial institution, with export revenues accounting for nearly one third of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The South American nation advocates promoting trade liberalisation and is one of the countries to have signed the most Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the world.
Implementing an open and balanced foreign policy with the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Chile operates actively in regional and international organisations, such as the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the South American Trade Bloc (MERCOSUR) and the Pacific Union.
Vietnam and Chile first established diplomatic ties in March 1971. The friendly relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries have been growing actively across all spheres over the past few years. The bilateral political ties have become increasingly closer and more trustworthy, manifested through the regular exchange of all-level delegations and high-level meetings on the sidelines of international conferences, as well as at the UN and APEC, notably the bilateral meeting between Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Chilean President Bachelet on the sidelines of the recent Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China.
Two-way trade continues to rise, especially after the Vietnam-Chile FTA took effect on January 1, 2014, growing from US$170 million in 2006 to more than US$1 billion ten years later and over US$955 million in the first nine months of 2017, making Chile one of the Latin American countries exceeding US$1 billion in their annual bilateral trade with Vietnam. The two countries have been regularly and effectively maintaining their cooperative mechanisms, such as the political consultation between the two Foreign Ministries and the Free Trade Council. Both sides have also signed a number of cooperation documents, such as the Agreement on economic and trade cooperation, the Agreement on investment promotion and protection and the Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation.
The two countries have coordinated and cooperated effectively together at international organisations and multilateral forums. Chile supports Vietnam’s candidacy for UN agencies, such as the UN Security Council and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSSOC), while Vietnam supports Chile in becoming a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
During the State visit to Vietnam by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, the two countries’ leaders will discuss and agree on the directions and measures needed to further strengthen the friendly relations and comprehensive cooperation between the two sides, especially in the fields of economics, trade, culture, science-technology and tourism. The visit also affirms Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, and proactive and active international integration, whilst also affirming that Vietnam attaches great importance to developing its ties with Chile.
May the Chilean President’s Vietnam visit be a success, contributing to furthering the friendship and deepening the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Chile, thus making active contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Source: Nhan Dan