Vietnam, Chile explore potential for bilateral ties

Nhan Dan, Vietnam

Vietnam, Chile explore potential for bilateral ties

18 September 2010

Chile and Vietnam envisage enormous potential to strengthen their bilateral ties, especially in economics and trade, affirmed the newly-appointed Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam.

Answering a Vietnam News Agency reporter on the occasion of Chile’s 200th National Day (September 18, 1810-2010), Ambassador Fernando Urrutia said that Chile and Vietnam are completing negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the signing of the FTA will play a decisive role in speeding up bilateral economic and trade relations.

In August 2010, the two countries held the sixth negotiation round for the FTA in Hanoi and agreed on the seventh round, which is expected to be the last one, in Santiago in October or November this year.

According to the ambassador, the two sides are considering a possibility of Vietnam’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, of which Chile is one of the founders, together with Singapore, Brunei and New Zealand.

In addition to economic and trade ties, the two sides should also pay attention to cultural co-operation as it not only affects trade relations but also strengthens mutual understanding, he noted.

The ambassador also expressed his wish that Chilean sculptor Vicente Gajardo’s ‘Seeing again’ work would be displayed in Hanoi in October on the occasion of the 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet presented the work to Hanoi during her visit in November 2006.

The Chilean Embassy plans to hold a Chilean film week in Vietnam in November, he added.

Chile and Vietnam have seen good developments in their bilateral ties in recent years with regular exchanges of high-ranking delegations, and two-way trade increased from US$108 million in 2005 to over US$230 million in 2009.

Vietnam exports mainly oil, coffee, sports shoes, garments and printers to Chile while importing copper sheet, timber, seafood and wine from the South American country. (VNA)

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