Chile highly values and wishes to elevate multifaceted relations with Vietnam to a higher level as part of its overall diplomatic policy toward the Asia-Pacific region, Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font has announced.

During talks with Vietnamese State President Luong Cuong, Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed strong support for elevating the Vietnam-Chile partnership.

The meeting, part of President Cuong’s November 10-12 visit to Chile, highlighted measures to advance cooperation across various sectors and further strengthen bilateral relations.

President Boric valued the visit as the first by a Vietnamese state president in 15 years, emphasizing its potential to deepen traditional ties and multifaceted collaboration.

He aired Chile’s commitment to strengthening ties with Vietnam, especially in light of the two countries' 10-year free trade agreement and shared membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He highlighted that Vietnam holds an important place in Chile's Asia-Pacific foreign policy.

Boric also commended Vietnam's achievements in national development, particularly under the Doi Moi (Renovationl) policy, initiated in 1986, which has driven significant economic progress.

President Cuong affirmed that his visit was intended to deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between Hanoi and Santiago, the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam on March 25, 1971.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his gratitude to the Chilean people for their invaluable support for Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as the present cause of national defense and construction.

Cuong and his host shared the need to foster collaboration in the fields matching the two sides’ advantages and needs, including free trade, agriculture, sustainable development, renewable energy, science, education, tourism, defense, and security. 

The Chilean and Vietnamese leaders agreed to expedite negotiations for key bilateral cooperation documents to establish a solid legal foundation for sustainable growth.

They insisted on enhancing business collaboration to maximize trade potential.

Both sides were committed to strengthening cooperation, and providing mutual support in international organizations as well as multilateral and inter-regional forums, and fostering deeper coordination across diplomatic and economic spheres.

They affirmed that they would instruct the relevant bodies of both countries to prepare for upgrading bilateral relations and identify strategic cooperation priorities to create more opportunities for collaboration.

The two presidents also discussed and exchanged views on various regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issue, the two sides agreed that disputes over sovereignty and territory should be resolved by peaceful means, based on respect for international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

President Cuong extended the best regards from Party General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to President Boric.

Cuong also invited his host to visit Vietnam in the near future, an invitation that the Chilean leader accepted with pleasure.

Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a joint statement by their foreign ministers, a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation between their defense ministries, and several other cooperative documents in agriculture, culture, and trade promotion.

Before his talks with his Chilean counterpart, President Cuong had separate meetings with President of the Chilean Senate José Garcia Ruminot and Speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies Karol Cariola in Santiago.

In the discussions, State President Cuong and the Chilean legislators explored ways to enhance cooperation between their respective parliaments and strengthen the bilateral comprehensive partnership through government, legislative, and people-to-people exchanges.

Cuong extended invitations from National Assembly Chairman Man for the legislators José Garcia Ruminot and Karol Cariola to visit Vietnam at their convenience, fostering further diplomatic and cooperative ties.

Since establishing diplomatic ties 53 years ago, Vietnam and Chile have fostered strong bilateral relations, especially in trade, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Trade between the two nations has quadrupled in the last decade, reaching $1.5 billion in 2023.

Chile, the first Latin American country to sign a free trade pact with Vietnam in 2014, remains a crucial partner for Hanoi in the region.

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