Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc and his Peruvian counterpart John Peter Camino Cannock co-chaired the fifth political consultation between their respective ministries in Lima on October 3.

Affirming their determination to elevate the friendship and all-around cooperation to new heights, both sides committed to intensifying the exchange of high-ranking delegations and exploring new avenues of cooperation, particularly in telecommunications, sci-tech, agriculture, mining, tourism and culture.

They pledged to further improve the effectiveness of collaboration within mechanisms of which both are members, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), while promoting cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Alliance (AP).

On global and regional issues of shared concern, they vowed to work closely together at multilateral forums and support each other’s bid for membership at key United Nations bodies. They shared ASEAN’s stance on maintaining peace, stability, freedom, security and safety of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and stressed the need to settle disputes through peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

Talking to President of the Congress of Peru Eduardo Salhuana and leaders of the Peruvian Foreign Ministry, Ngoc underlined Vietnam regards for Peru as an important partner and a premier investment destination in Latin America. He expressed his hope that the Peruvian Government and Congress would facilitate the expansion of Bitel – a subsidiary of Vietnam's telecom provider Viettel, thereby contributing to Peru's sustainable development and digital transformation.

He also extended his wish for Peru’s success in hosting the APEC Summit in November 2024 and expressed Vietnam’s interest in learning from Peru’s experience to successfully host the APEC Summit in 2027.

The host side stressed that Peru attaches importance to its relationship with Vietnam and pledged to work closely to facilitate high-level exchanges.

The deputy minister said he hopes that Vietnam would soon establish its embassy in Peru to further strengthen the growing bilateral ties.

The Peruvian officials commended Bitel's success and contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, particularly in rural and remote areas.

ღ During a working session with Bitel's leaders, Ngoc commended the company's decade-long operations in Peru and encouraged it to maintain its proactive, innovative, and dynamic approach to solidify its position as one of the leading telecom and digital service providers in the South American nation./.