National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile Fidel Espinoza Sandoval in Hanoi on January 20 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly Chairwoman NguyenThi Kim Ngan hosted a reception in Hanoi on January 20 for President of theChamber of Deputies of Chile Fidel Espinoza Sandoval, who said his country’stop priority now is promoting cooperation with Asian-Pacific countries,including Vietnam.
The host leader highly valued the Chileanparliamentarians’ presence at the ongoing 26th Annual Meeting of theAsia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Hanoi.
Ngan emphasised that the two countries’relations have developed basing on the solidarity and mutual support throughouthistory. Chile was the second Latin American nation, after Cuba, to establish diplomaticrelationship with Vietnam in 1971.
She also appreciated the official visit toVietnam and attendance in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week by President MichelleBachelet last November, which Ngan said helped bring the countries’comprehensive partnership to a new stage of development.
Echoing his host’s view, Sandoval assessed thatthe comprehensive partnership has enjoyed progress in all fields. He noted thatthe Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 2014, has createda favourable legal framework for expanding economic ties. Bilateral trade risefrom 170 million USD in 2005 to 1.04 billion USD in 2016 and 955.7 million USDin the first nine months of 2017.
He valued Vietnam’s socio-economic efforts andachievements, adding that Chile wants to enhance cooperation with the SoutheastAsian nation.
At the meeting, Chairwoman Ngan said relationsbetween the Vietnamese and Chilean parliaments are growing, as seen in thefrequent exchange of high-ranking delegations.
On the basis of the signed cooperationagreement, the National Assembly of Vietnam wants to strengthen links with theupper and lower houses of Chile in both bilateral and multilateral aspects. Thetwo countries’ friendship parliamentary groups should also increase specialisedcooperation and exchanges, she added.
On this occasion, President Sandoval invitedChairwoman Ngan to pay an official visit to Chile.-VNA
VNA
