Vietnam fosters comprehensive cooperation with Uruguay

Buenos Aires (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina and Uruguay Ngo Minh Nguyet paid a working visit to Uruguay from October 20 to 21 to bolster bilateral friendship and cooperation.

During her visit, Nguyet met with the Uruguay–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, led by Senator Sebastian Da Silva, Chair of the Senate Committee on International Affairs, and participated in an open roundtable discussion on bilateral relations at the Uruguayan Parliament.

At the meeting, Sebastian Da Silva congratulated Vietnam on its economic development achievements, affirming that the Uruguay–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group will work to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation and contribute to consolidating solidarity, friendship, and multifaceted ties between the two countries.

In the discussions, the Vietnamese diplomat highlighted that Vietnam and Uruguay maintain a traditional friendship grounded in mutual respect, solidarity, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Their diplomatic relations were established on August 11, 1993. Over the past three decades, bilateral ties have steadily expanded across politics, economics, and trade, as well as in coordination at multilateral forums.

The two sides have maintained regular delegation exchanges and effectively utilised existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade, and Investment Cooperation. They have also strengthened coordination within the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Forum for East Asia–Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC).

Nguyet expressed her gratitude for the solidarity and support extended by the Uruguayan people to Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence and its ongoing nation-building process. She also commended the contributions by Uruguayan parliamentarians to bilateral ties.

She voiced her hope that the Parliamentary Friendship Group will continue serving as a vital bridge between the two nations, fostering delegation exchanges, inter-parliamentary cooperation, legislative knowledge sharing, and coordination at regional and international forums.

Economic and trade cooperation remains a cornerstone of bilateral ties. Data cited by the Vietnamese ambassador at the roundtable show that bilateral trade reached over 268 million USD in 2025, up 58.4% year-on-year. In the first half of this year, the turnover stood at 148 million USD, a 21.8% rise compared to the same period last year.

The two countries’ trade structures are highly complementary, with Vietnam supplying industrial goods, electronics, and consumer products, and Uruguay boasting strengths in raw materials and agricultural commodities.

The outlook for negotiations on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Vietnam and Mercosur was another key focus of the ambassador's talks.

She noted that the first round of negotiations between Vietnam and the South American trade bloc was held in Buenos Aires from August 24 to 28.

Boasting a population of more than 270 million and a gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding 2 trillion USD, Mercosur represents a major market for Vietnam, particularly in the agricultural and raw materials sectors.

The diplomat underlined that the two economies complement each other well, adding a PTA will help lower trade costs, diversify supply sources, expand market reach, and enhance resilience against global economic fluctuations.

Furthermore, Nguyet reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for Uruguay’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

As a founding member and the CPTPP Chair in 2026, Vietnam stands ready to coordinate closely with Uruguay and assist its bid, thereby opening up opportunities for the South American country to access markets, attract investment, and deepen economic ties with the Asia-Pacific region.

As part of her trip, the ambassador met with Acting Intendant of Montevideo Justo Onandi and local officials to explore avenues for expanding subnational cooperation.

Montevideo and Ho Chi Minh City inked a sister-city agreement in April 2023, paving the way for cooperation in trade, tourism, science – technology, and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting helped accelerate the implementation of existing commitments and capitalise on the comparative advantages of both cities.

On this occasion, Nguyet paid a courtesy call on Lucia Topolansky, former Vice President of Uruguay and spouse of the late former President Jose Mujica.

Topolansky voiced her admiration for the Vietnamese people's struggle for independence and freedom, as well as the country’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and global integration.

As an influential figure in the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), a key left-wing force within Uruguay's Broad Front (Frente Amplio), Topolansky recalled her time in prison and the moment she received news of the complete liberation of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975. She stressed that the Vietnamese people's victory served as a tremendous source of encouragement and inspiration for imprisoned Uruguayan communist fighters, bolstering their resolve and faith to continue fighting for their revolutionary ideals.

In response, Nguyet affirmed that the Vietnamese people deeply cherish the solidarity and invaluable support from Uruguayan progressive forces during Vietnam's past national liberation struggle and present development. She also expressed high regard for President Jose Mujica and Lucia Topolansky, prominent figures of the Uruguayan left, for their dedication to peace, social justice, public welfare, and human dignity.

The ambassador expressed her hope that Topolansky and other MPP leaders will continue helping to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples, expand concrete cooperation, and elevate Vietnam–Uruguay friendship to a stage of more substantive and effective development./.

VNA