Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam consistently attaches importance to its relations with traditional friends in Latin America, with Mexico being one of its most important partners, based on shared bilateral, global and regional interests, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco Álvarez during their phone talks on July 8.
Trung conveyed greetings and invitation from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to pay an official visit to Vietnam at an appropriate time.
Vietnam wants to build a substantive and effective relationship and establish a new partnership framework that matches the level of bilateral ties, he said, adding that Vietnam supports Mexico’s efforts to bolster ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thus contributing to peace, cooperation and development between the two regions.
The Vietnamese minister proposed the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs work closely with ministries and agencies of Mexico to further facilitate market access for goods from both countries.
Velasco Álvarez, for his part, conveyed greetings from President Sheinbaum to General Secretary and President Lam, and said that Mexico wants to build a friendly, strategic and stable long-term partnership with Vietnam.
He praised Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements and rising global position, and affirmed that the Mexican Government values friendship and cooperation with Vietnam in its broader policy toward ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region.
The two ministers welcomed strides in multifaceted cooperation, noting that bilateral mechanisms, including political consultations and the Vietnam-Mexico Joint Committee for Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation, have been maintained regularly, while legal frameworks have been deployed effectively and new agreements in various fields are under negotiation.
Two-way trade has continued to grow rapidly, buoyed by the effective use of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which both are members, they said.
The ministers agreed to work closely together to elevate the bilateral ties to a new level, facilitate high-level exchanges and visits, effectively roll out cooperation mechanisms, pursue the signing of important cooperation documents, maximise the CPTPP’s benefits, and strengthen coordination within APEC, as Vietnam and Mexico are set to respectively host APEC Year in 2027 and 2028.
Both officials also consented to continue coordination and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums./.
