Buenos Aires (VNA) – A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), ledby Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Nguyen Huy Tang, visited Uruguay andArgentina from December 15 –21 to foster bilateral relations and cooperation.

In Uruguay, the delegation paid a courtesy call toVice President Lucia Topolansky and had meetings with General Secretary of theCommunist Party of Uruguay Juan Castillo, President of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) Javier Miranda, General Secretary of the National Party Pablo Iturralde,and Deputy Foreign Minister ArielBergamino.

In Argentina, thedelegation had meetings with General Secretary of Communist Party VíctorGorodeki Kot, President of the Justicialist Party José Luis Gioja, Deputy FM PabloTetamantti and leaders of the Republican Proposal.

At the meetings,Tang said the Vietnam is consistent in pursuing its foreign policy of indenpendence, self-reliance,peace, cooperation and development, diversification andmultilateralisation of foreign relations, while actively bolstering international integration.

He highly spokeof bilateral cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Uruguay andArgentina in recent years and expected the two sides would increase the exchange of delegations at all level and maintain the implementation ofmechanisms and agreements, for example, mechanism for political consultation betweenthe two foreign ministries and the inter-governmental committee. The two sidesshould expand cooperation in other areas, such as culture, education, andsports and work closely at inernational forums and organisations, Tang said.

He mentioned the recent developments in the East Sea which draws the international community’s attention, saying Vietnam has beenexercising its sovereignty, sovereignrights and jurisdiction peacefully in line with law, toprotect its waters. At the same time, Vietnam persistently advocates the settlement of related issuesby peaceful measures on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

For theirpart, leaders of governments and political parties of Uruguay and Argentina hailedVietnam for what the country has achieved in socio-economic development and itsroles in the international arena over the past few years.

The hosts saidVietnam remains an important partner of both Uruguay and Argentina in Asia anda gateway for the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) to enter the ASEAN market.They hoped to enhancecooperation with Vietnam in all areas and expressed their support for Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue.

During thevisit, the Vietnamese delegation also participated in the celebration of thebirth anniversary of Liber Seregni, founder of the Board Front, and met with the Argentine-VietnamCultural Institute and laid a wreath at the President Ho Chi Minh monument inBuenos Aires./.