Hanoi, Buenos Aires eye stronger local-to-local relations

Chairman of the Hanoi City People's Council Nguyen Ngoc Tuan has expressed his desire to enhance the cooperation between Hanoi and Buenos Aires and connect business communities in both capitals.

Officials of Hanoi and Buenos Aires at the meeting on August 12. Photo: Do Truong/The Hanoi Times

At a meeting with Matías López, First Vice President of the Buenos Aires City Council in the Argentine capital on August 12, Tuan wanted to promote potential cooperation opportunities and support Vietnamese and Argentine businesses to operate in both countries.

The Hanoi official also hoped that the two parties would strengthen cultural and artistic exchanges, foster people-to-people interactions, and advertise the cultural and historical values of Hanoi and Buenos Aires to contribute to the overall success of the Vietnam-Argentina bilateral relations.

Vietnamese and Argentine people share a close friendship and mutual support, Tuan said as he led a Hanoi delegation to Buenos Aires.

“Vietnam always cherishes Argentina’s strong assistance for our cause of national liberation,” he told the meeting, which was part of the Hanoi delegation’s visit to Buenos Aires.

Argentina is one of the first three Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. For more than 50 years, the bilateral relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2010 and has advanced across various sectors.

With the substantial potential for collaboration, Tuan expected that Hanoi and Buenos Aires would identify key collaborative fields and put agreements into practice. On this occasion, Chairman Nguyễn Ngọc Tuấn extended a formal invitation for Buenos Aires’ leadership to visit Hanoi at their earliest convenience.

For his part, Matías appreciated that the meeting had effectively bridged the gap between the two capitals despite their geographic distance. He added that the authorities and people of Argentina always admire Vietnam’s historical resilience and respect their determination in the wars.

Vietnam remains a top-priority partner for Argentina in the Asia-Pacific region, he said, adding that Buenos Aires looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Hanoi per the two cities’ 2008 Memorandum of Understanding, which covers urban management, public transportation, human resource training, innovation, biotechnology, digital transformation, investment, trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

At their meeting, both sides agreed to resume bilateral communication and tasked their foreign affairs agencies to review the MoU and propose detailed future collaborative activities.

During the visit, the Hanoi delegation also met with leaders of the Buenos Aires’ justice and foreign affairs departments. The parties discussed economic and social development and shared experiences on government organization, electoral processes, oversight mechanisms, financial management, and international relations.

Hanoi People’s Council Chairman Tuan said that expanding and deepening cooperation and experience-sharing between the two cities’ foreign affairs and justice agencies is essential for making the bilateral relationship more effective and substantive.

The Hanoi delegation also met Buenos Aires’ Department of Urban Development and the Mercosur - ASEAN Chamber of Commerce to exchange experiences on urban planning, infrastructure management, wastewater and waste treatment, smart city development, environmental investment, and future cooperation directions between Argentine regions and Hanoi.

Meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy

Chairman Tuan and the Hanoi delegates later had a meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina and the Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet.

Tuan provided updates on the Hanoi delegation’s visit to Argentina and the current socio-economic developments in Hanoi, including areas where the city is seeking investment cooperation.

He thanked the Ambassador for her support and requested that the Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina, which also covers Paraguay and Uruguay, continue to promote Hanoi’s image in these nations, foster friendly relations with Argentine localities, and support Hanoi in investment promotion and cooperation.

Ambassador Nguyet highlighted the advancement of Vietnam-Argentina relations, especially as both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.

She believed the bilateral relationship would open new opportunities for comprehensive cooperation, including between Hanoi and Argentine cities. She also suggested that Hanoi pursue cultural exchange activities and people-to-people interactions with Argentine cities.

The Hanoi delegation is on a trip to Argentina and Chile from August 10-21. The visit aims to strengthen friendly cooperation; connect and engage Hanoi’s relationships with governmental and local authorities in both countries, and broaden cooperation in shared fields of interest such as urban planning, environmental protection, waste management, cultural heritage preservation, social welfare, and facilitate activities promoting investment, trade, and tourism.