During the official visit to Chile, in the capital Santiago de Chile, President Luong Cuong and his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric conducted extensive talks about friendly bilateral relations, exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. 

President Luong Cuong also held meetings with Senate President José Garcia Ruminot, President of the Chamber of Deputies Karol Cariola, received Santiago de Chile Mayor Irací Hassler, delivered a policy speech at the University of Chile and met with several prominent Chilean business leaders. 

President Luong Cuong appreciated the Chilean government’s recent economic, social and foreign relations achievements, continuously enhancing Chile’s role in the region and the world. 

President Gabriel Boric expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s great achievements during nearly 40 years of Doi Moi and international integration, as well as its recent socio-economic development results.

The two leaders agreed to intensify high-level activities to direct the development of Vietnam-Chile relations through bilateral visits and high-level interactions at international conferences and multilateral forums. They also expressed a shared desire to strengthen cooperation through legislative bodies, local governments, academic institutions, and people-to-people exchanges to deepen the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Chile.

Emphasising the importance of trade and investment relations for the development and prosperity of both nations, the leaders committed to enhancing coordination to improve the implementation of the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement (VCFTA) while marking the 10th anniversary of its entry into force (2014–2024), as well as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to which both countries are signatories.

President Luong Cuong and President Gabriel Boric pledged to expand bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as defence, security, agriculture, sustainable development, renewable energy, science, education, culture, and tourism. Both sides emphasised the need to further open markets for agricultural products from Vietnam and Chile to diversify bilateral trade and contribute to enhancing food security in both nations.

Acknowledging Vietnam’s recent establishment of a Defence Attaché Office in Chile and Chile’s opening of an Agricultural Attaché Office in Vietnam, the two leaders expressed confidence that these initiatives would enrich and deepen the bilateral relationship.

President Luong Cuong and President Dina Boluarte shared their views on the need to further open the market for agricultural products of each country to diversify the bilateral trade structure and ensure food security in each country, as well as promote investment in each country. Notably, in 2023, Vietnam became Peru’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and the fifth in Asia. Peru is currently Vietnam’s sixth largest trading partner and the most important investment destination for Vietnam in the Latin American region.

The two sides emphasised the importance of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to which both countries are members, and committed to further enhance the deep utilisation of the pact to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations, while promoting an open, rules-based, fair, and inclusive global trading system.

At the same time, both sides recognised the importance of advancing and consolidating South-South cooperation and trilateral partnership as a mechanism to enhance bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as trade and investment, mining, oil and gas, tourism, agriculture, renewable energy, science, technology and innovation, and climate change response. 

The two leaders reaffirmed their interest in implementing the Cultural Cooperation Agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Peru’s Ministry of Culture, as signed on November 18, 2016, to increase mutual understanding of the traditions and customs of both countries through a cultural cooperation programme.

Sharing a common vision on current global challenges such as eradicating hunger and reducing poverty, climate change, environmental protection, renewable energy, ocean conservation, water resources, and food security, both sides reaffirmed their commitments to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the commitments made at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences.

President Luong Cuong praised Peru's role as the host of the APEC 2024 presidency, especially through the promotion of key documents on transitioning to a formal economy, regional economic linkages, sustainable and inclusive growth, food security, and clean energy. 

During the official visit, Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra presented the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru to Vietnamese President Luong Cuong.

President Luong Cuong emphasised that over the past 35 years, APEC has consistently affirmed its indispensable role in the regional cooperation structure, linking global economic and technological hubs and leading efforts to capitalise on contemporary development trends for the benefit of all people. 

The documents adopted at this year's Summit, including Peru's initiatives, reaffirm APEC economies' strong commitment to jointly addressing shared challenges, seizing new opportunities, and guiding regional and global cooperation and integration.

Attending the APEC 2024 Leaders’ Week, the Vietnamese delegation actively collaborated with APEC members to contribute to developing the APEC leaders' joint statement and other key documents.

In Lima, the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Summit reached a consensus on the APEC Leaders’ joint statement and two notable initiatives by the host Peru, including the roadmap for advancing the transition to a formal and global economy and the Declaration on a renewed vision for the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). Leaders also welcomed the Republic of Korea's hosting of APEC in 2025, China's hosting in 2026, and Vietnam's hosting in 2027.

President Luong Cuong affirmed that, as the APEC 2027 host and a member of the APEC structural reform working group for 2026-2030, Vietnam will continue to make positive contributions and effectively implement APEC cooperation's orientations and visions.

President Luong Cuong's official visits to Chile and Peru and his participation in the APEC 2024 Leaders’ Week have deepened Vietnam's cooperative relations with partners in the Asia-Pacific region and strengthened ties with Chile and Peru, opening up numerous cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Latin America.

At the same time, the President’s trip delivered a strong message of Vietnam entering a new era of the nation's rise, being a dynamic and innovative country, and a top destination for international investors.

Published: November 17, 2024
Production Manager: CHU HONG THANG – PHAM TRUONG SON
Content: NINH SON – VU PHONG
Design: NHA NAM