Chairman of Vietnam’s lawmaking National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue has commenced his official visit to Uruguay at the invitation of Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira.

The NA leader and a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese legislature arrived in the Uruguayan capital city of Montevideo on Wednesday (local time).

NA chairman Hue is the highest-level official of the Communist Party and the state of Vietnam to pay an official visit to the Eastern Republic of Uruguay since the two countries established their diplomatic ties 30 years ago.

His visit is expected to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two nations, strengthen bilateral cooperation ties, and boost the possibility to start negotiations of the Vietnam-Mercosur free trade agreement.

The visit also indicated that Vietnam attaches great importance to the fine relations and looks to bolster economic and trade cooperation with Latin American countries, including Uruguay.

Prior to his Uruguay trip, the head of the Vietnamese legislature and his entourage attended the Vietnam-Argentina Business Forum, which took place at the Rosario Stock Exchange in the Argentine province of Santa Fe on Wednesday (local time).

Addressing the event, Hue said that since Vietnam and Argentina established their diplomatic ties 50 years ago, the two nations have made significant efforts in cooperation activities and obtained important results in all fields, with economic and trade cooperation being a bright spot.

Hue stressed that the Vietnamese legislature and government are working to perfect institutions and create the most favorable business environment for investors at home and abroad, as well as state-run and private firms.

He also affirmed that Vietnam wishes to deepen its comprehensive partnership with Argentina.

The head of the Vietnamese lawmaking body suggested both sides continue to boost the export of products to each other’s market, so as to further beef up the economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Argentina, between Vietnam and Santa Fe and other localities in central Argentina’s development triangle.

Besides, Vietnam and Argentina need to facilitate the launch of negotiations of a free trade agreement between the Southeast Asian country and Mercosur in order to further speed up bilateral trade and investment.

Mercosur, or the Southern Common Market, is a South American trade bloc that establishes free trade among member nations including Argentina and Uruguay.

“Vietnam has completed all the assessments and stays ready to negotiate the pact with Argentina and other Mercosur member nations at any time,” Hue said.

Previously, the top Vietnamese legislator had met with Governor of Santa Fe Omar Angel Perotti, Governor of Cordoba Province Juan Schiaretti, and Governor of Entre Rios Province Gustavo Bordet.

Speaking at a press conference held after that, Hue lauded the three province governors and businesses for their efforts to send delegations to Vietnam to consider expanding the cooperation between the two sides.

Apart from strengthening the economic, trade, and investment cooperation, Vietnam seeks to bolster people-to-people exchanges as well as cultural, sports, and tourism cooperation.

Both sides also discussed a plan on launching a direct air route linking Vietnam and Argentina to further enhance people-to-people exchanges and the economic, trade, investment, and tourism cooperation.

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