Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and Chile - the first Southern American nationto set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam - have nurtured and preserved theirsound cooperative relations and traditional friendship as well as comprehensive developmentpartnership over the past five decades.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter,Charge d’affaires a.i. Gonzalo Guaiquil at the Chilean Embassy laid stress on historicalrelations between the two nations, which were found and developed byVietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and Chilean President Salvador Allende.

The trip to Vietnam in May 1969 - the time when Vietnam was undergoing the fiercewar against the US imperialists - had a huge impact on Salvador Allende, who served as President of the Chilean Senate at that time, and he decided to establish diplomatic relations with thisSoutheast Asian country when he became President of Chile, opening a new chapter in the bilateral relations.

Both nations have enjoyed stronger bonds in recent time thanks to rosy economiccooperation, long-lasting friendship and mutual understanding between the people of Chile and Vietnam, the diplomat added.

According toGuaiquil, Chile was the first American nation to ink a free trade deal withVietnam, and this was an important milestone in trade andinvestment ties between the two sides.

Expressinghis delight at opportunities that the free trade agreement (FTA) hasbrought to both nations, he said trade in goods between Vietnam and Chileexceeded the 1 billion USD benchmark in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, up over 1percent year-on-year.

The figure is a vivid illustration for the unceasingly developed trade tiesbetween the two nations, even when the global economy is facing formidablechallenges, he underlined.
Since Vietnam was among a few countries achieving positive economic growthin 2020, it is an attractive destination for Chilean investors, he said. The diplomat alsocommended the Vietnamese Government’s efforts and measures to prevent thepandemic.

Statistics shows that Chile is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America, with two-way trade increased to 1.23 billion USD in 2019from 170 million USD in 2005. Most of Vietnam’s exports to Chile are footwear,garments and textiles, seafood, steel products, electronic products and spareparts, cement, coffee and rice. Meanwhile, the nation imports copper, pine wood,paper powder, and wine from Chile.

Chile was among one of thevery first nations to recognise Vietnam's market economy. Both sides signedthe FTA on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Hawaii, the US, in November 2011.The deal officially came into force on January 1, 2014, marking the substantialdevelopment in trade relations between two countries.

Guaiquil said Chile wants to further boost trade tieswith Vietnam, particularly the trading in Chilean wine and cherry, and Vietnamese tropicalfruits.

Additionally,Vietnam and Chile’s cooperation has been expanded to culture, politics andtourism. The visa exemption agreement signed in 2016 has facilitated travelling of citizens of both nations to enhance exchanges and better their mutualunderstanding, he stressed./.