50th anniversary of Vietnam – Chile diplomatic ties marked

Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Patricio Becker speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Foreign Ministry held a ceremony in Hanoi on December 20 marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam – Chile diplomatic ties (March 25).

Speaking at the event, Assistant to Foreign Minister and Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for International Organisations Do Hung Viet said amid the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral ties have been growing thanks to high-level talks and cooperation mechanisms such as Vietnam – Chile Free Trade Council and political consultation. Two-way trade topped 1.46 billion USD in the first nine months of this year, up 59 percent annually.

Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Patricio Becker, for his part, affirmed that bilateral solidarity will continue to be fostered by the two peoples. He stressed that the two countries share common visions on issues such as market opening, multilateralism, sustainable growth and climate change response, and the close traditional friendship will be a firm foundation for the two countries to further develop their bilateral ties.

Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with Vietnam on March 25, 1971. Later in 2007, the two countries officially became comprehensive partners.

Since the Vietnam – Chile Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2014, bilateral economic-trade ties have expanded remarkably./.