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| NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou in Montevideo on April 27. Photo: VNA |
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on April 26 (local time) arrived in Montevideo, starting their official visit to Uruguay at the invitation of Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira, VNA reported.
His visit is affirming the message that Vietnam attaches importance to the fine relations and wish to push up economic, trade and mutually beneficial cooperation with Latin American countries, including Uruguay; boost the possibility of the launch of negotiations on the Vietnam – Mercosur free trade agreement; and start the trip that follow President Ho Chi Minh’s journey (Montevideo is where the late leader came to in 1912 after leaving Vietnam in 1911).
Hue held talks and meet with high-ranking leaders of Uruguay, signed a cooperation agreement between the two law-making bodies, attended a number of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents of a number of authorities and localities.
Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou has told Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue that he hoped Uruguay and Vietnam will continue to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and delegations between ministries and sectors, and expand people-to-people exchanges, thus further deepening the bilateral relations.
Uruguay is ready to serve as a gateway for Vietnam and ASEAN to access the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR – including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), thus facilitating business and investment activities of enterprises of both sides, he said.
President Lacalle Pou expressed his hope that Vietnam will open its embassy in Montevideo soon and support Uruguay to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the candidacy of Uruguay and the three MERCOSUR member nations to co-host World Cup in 2030.
NA Chairman Hue on April 27 morning also witnessed Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira and Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar signing a resolution to establish the Uruguay-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group with eight members.
The three leaders then attended a ceremony where the Uruguay-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the Vietnam-Uruguay Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group made their debut.
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| Vietnam’s NA signs cooperation agreement for first time with Uruguay parliament. Photo: VNA |
The same day, Hue, Speaker of the Senate and Vice President of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon, and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar signed a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments.
This is the first time the NA of Vietnam and the two of Uruguay signed a cooperation agreement, manifesting the importance they and political parties in the Uruguay parliament attach to the strengthening of relations and cooperation with Vietnam.
Under the document, the sides will push up efforts aimed at strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation through information exchange, consultation, training and delegation exchange. They also pledge to share experiences in law building, and provide mutual assistance and support to each other at international forums.
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Vietnam and Uruguay established diplomatic relations on August 11, 1993. The bilateral relations of friendship and solidarity are manifested through the mutual support in the past national liberation and the current national development. Two-way trade increased to over USD 100 million in 2019 from 27 million in 2007. Under the Covid-19 pandemic impact, the value decreased slightly but increased 89.7% in 2022 over that in 2021, with a total of USD 175.1 million. The Vietnam-Uruguay parliamentary relations were strengthened through the visit by Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Anibal Pereyra in January 2015. |
