A delegation of the Central Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, led by Duong Minh, head of the Department for Middle East, Africa and Latin America, attended the 16th Sao Paulo Forum held in the Argentinean capital city of Buenos Aires from August 18-20.

At the plenary session, Minh delivered a speech celebrating 20 years of the forum of leftist parties in the Western hemisphere and revealing Vietnam’s policies to develop the socialist-oriented market economy as well as the country’s achievements over almost 25 years of renovation.

He also confirmed determination of Vietnam ’s party and people to advance toward socialism.

On the sidelines of the forum, the Vietnamese delegation held bilateral meetings with leaders of the Communist Party of Argentina, the Communist Party of Brazil, and the Workers’ Revolutionary Party of Nicaragua to exchange information regarding the parties, nations and regions and discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

During the three-day forum, about 600 delegates from 54 leftist parties and political organizations in 33 countries touched upon a wide range of issues, from legislation and government to ideological, security and environmental research, social movements, the democratization of mass media, decolonialization and migration.

The forum concluded with a joint communiqué that supports Argentina’s sovereignty over Malvinas islands, condemns the US embargo against Cuba, and admits to the forum Honduras’ National Front of Popular Resistance, which opposes the coup d’état in June, 2009 against President Manuel Zelaya.

The 17 th forum will be held in Nicaragua ’s capital of Managua next year./.