Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino's visit will define the bilateral agenda for upcoming years: Argentine Ambassdor
Sharing with the World and Vietnam Report about Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino's official visit to Vietnam, Argentine Ambassador Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino said that this important visit will deepen and diversify the excellent bilateral relations that exist between the two countries.
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| Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino has received an invitation H.E. Mr. Bui Thanh Son to pay an official visit to Vietnam 19-20/3. (Source: Buenos Aires Herald) |
Could you please share us the significance and focus of the Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino's official visit to Vietnam (19-20/3)?
Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino has received an invitation H.E. Mr. Bui Thanh Son to pay an official visit to Vietnam within the framework of continuing deepening and diversifying the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Argentina and Vietnam. Vietnam will be one of the first countries Minister Mondino visits in Asia since she was assigned as Argentine Foreign Minister and this is especially relevant considering that the current administration, led by President Javier Milei, took office only 3 months ago.
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| Argentine Ambassador to Vietnam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino. (Source: VNA) |
As you might be aware of, Argentina and Vietnam have more than 50 years of long lasting and friendship relations and have established a Comprehensive Partnership back in 2010. Specifically in the agro-industrial sector, our two countries have built a de facto strategic partnership.
Our objective, in this context, is to keep working closely in order for the bilateral relations to be more advantageous for the mutual benefit of our nations and people.
Currently, the bilateral relation is based on 3 pillars: An excellent and fluid political dialogue with exchanges at the highest and all government levels; An increasing and sustainable bilateral trade; South-South Technical cooperation.
On the political arena, Argentina is expecting to organize a number of bilateral activities with Vietnam such as the Political Consultation, the Joint Committee and we are also expecting visits of high-ranking officials as well as technical level experts. In this vein, we have the goal with H.E. Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, to define the bilateral agenda for the upcoming months and years.
On trade, in 2022 Argentina was the 15th trade partner of Vietnam, and the 6th of Argentina. We are looking forward to working together to increase our bilateral trade. With this in mind we are also looking forward during the Official Visit of Minister Mondino to advance with the Vietnamese relevant authorities and agencies in charge of finalizing sanitary and phytosanitary risk analysis in granting the market access for Argentine primary and agricultural products that both parties have agreed to commercialize in 2019. These market access openings will be fundamental to diversify the amount of Vietnamese agricultural products that the Argentine public will be able to have access to, as well that we are confident Argentina will provide Vietnamese consumers with “price value” products that compete with other foreign products, thus impacting positively in the people’s choice and purchasing power.
Last but not least, we are looking forward to continuing working together on a South- South cooperation basis not only in agroindustry (Argentina and Vietnam currently have 4 ongoing technical assistance projects under the FO.AR - Argentine South South and Triangular and Cooperation Fund- in rice, soy, dairy products and tropical fruits), but also in high-end technology for peaceful uses of the outer space (Argentina is a leader in satellite observation caption and process of images) as well as cooperation in defense, among other important areas.
In short, we have many topics of discussion in the bilateral agenda and I hope that my visit to Vietnam will contribute to enrich our longstanding friendship.
What are your comments of actively exchanging high-level delegations between the two countries in recent times?
High-level delegations’ exchanges between Argentina and Vietnam have been the practice the past 30 years despite the geographical distance separating our two nations. However, the bilateral relation still has an enormous unexploited potential and it is our job, as policy makers, to create favorable conditions to allow not only official delegations exchange, but also to promote the interactions between the citizens of our two countries and thus get to know each other more. Until now, trade and technical cooperation have also been key drivers for bringing our nationals closer. However, there are still many areas such as tourism, education, culture and sports that, besides creating job opportunities, are fundamental for increasing people to people exchange and direct interaction.
Additionally, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) has been working closely with the Embassy of Argentina in Vietnam to establish the Vietnam-Argentina Friendship Association, which we hope will be soon announced. Although Argentina and Vietnam people to people exchange between VUFO and the Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV) has been active for more than 25 years, the institutionalization of this partnership is a reflection of mutual trust between our people.
During the visit to Argentina last April, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue proposed increasing bilateral trade turnover from 5 billion USD in 2022 to 10 billion USD in 2030. How do you evaluate of this prospect?
Reaching 10 billion USD by 2023 in bilateral trade would be an aspirational figure for both nations, indeed. The target is challenging, but not impossible, especially taking into account that Argentina and Vietnam have complimentary economies and a decent level of integration in relevant components of the bilateral supply chains. However, to reach 10 billion USD goal in the coming years, which means, in other words, to double our current trade figures, there are critical measures that both countries need to carry out.
On one hand, we have to find new mechanisms to increase the bilateral trade of our current export products. In particular, we consider fundamental to guarantee the market access for agricultural products. Argentina and Vietnam have long been discussing in ways to improve the coordination between the sanitary and phytosanitary agencies of both countries in order to facilitate the market access and, thus, increase bilateral trade. We have to be able to find common ground to overcome technical differences. In particular, Argentina and Vietnam have a commitment based on what the leaders of both countries have agreed upon in 2019 and we do not have to lose the momentum to diversify exports from and to both countries. Our goal in this vein, is to have frank conversation and to agree upon an action plan that will contribute to increase our bilateral trade and reach the 10 billion USD trade as soon as possible, for the benefit of the citizens of both countries. Because more trade means job creations and better opportunities for our people.
On the other hand, we have the challenge to work on the diversification of our trade and investment sectors. We are happy that an increasing number of Argentine entrepreneurs are currently investing in Vietnam and we are looking forward to Vietnamese business to looking into Argentina’s potential in renewable energy, mining, agriculture, technology, as well as other attractive sectors.
What are your assessments of potential areas of cooperation between the two countries in the coming time?
I am confident that both countries will continue working closely to strengthen the foundations of the bilateral relation. However, and as I outlined before, Argentina and Vietnam have an enormous potential of cooperation still unexploited and I think that the focus of the two countries leaderships should aim at consolidating news areas of cooperation.
On the bilateral side, we currently have concrete opportunities to cooperate in the fields of defence (in particular in Peacekeeping Operation Mission’s training); pacific uses of the outer space and satellite observation technology (for agriculture, fishing and natural disasters risk management); logistics; and security, among other areas.
Tourism is another key sector we are looking to develop and since 2022, both governments have been exchanging views on an Air Service Agreement. This instrument will create the framework for the private sector and airlines of both countries to find new and easier way of cooperation, to lower the cost of transaction for tourism and trade, thus helping to increase the people to people exchange.
At a multilateral level, Argentina and Vietnam share similar values as members of the international community and we will keep coordinating with like-minded partners on the basis of peaceful relations, mutual trust, respect of human rights, territorial integrity, among other core values, with the aim of fostering cooperation and promoting a safe and sustainable environment for human development and our future generations.
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