State President arrives in Santiago, beginning official visit to Chile

State President Lương Cường (C) is welcomed at the Arturo M. Benitez International Airport. VNA photo

SANTIAGO – State President Lương Cường and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam arrived at the Arturo M. Benitez International Airport in Santiago on Saturday afternoon (local time), beginning their official visit to Chile at the invitation of Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font.

The delegation was welcomed at the airport by Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs Alberto van Klaveren Stork, Chilean Ambassador to Việt Nam Sergio Narea, officials of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Nguyễn Việt Cường and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Latin American country.

This is the first visit to Chile by a Vietnamese State President in 15 years. The trip will give impulse to help the Việt Nam - Chile comprehensive partnership develop in a more intensive, practical and effective manner.

Over the years, despite their geographical distance, diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Chile have been developing fruitfully. Relations in many fields between the two countries are increasingly close and reliable, demonstrated through visits and meetings between senior leaders and officials of ministries, sectors and localities.

The visit also aims to continue implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations, proactive, positive, comprehensive and extensive international integration and raising the level of multilateral foreign affairs in the spirit of the 13th National Party Congress, contributing to promoting peace, cooperation, economic linkage and regional connectivity. It also demonstrates Việt Nam's consistent policy of always treasuring and wishing to consolidate and promote the Việt Nam-Chile relations.

It is expected that during the visit, State President Lương Cường will attend the official welcome ceremony, hold talks with President Gabriel Boric Font, and witness the signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the two countries. The State President will also have meetings with the Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies of Chile; receive leaders of the Communist Party and the Socialist Party of Chile, as well as the Chile - Việt Nam Friendship Association; lay a wreath at the Statue of President Hồ Chí Minh in the capital of Santiago and have a number of other important activities.

Meeting with Vietnamese community in Chile

Later the same day the State President and the Vietnamese delegation visited and talked with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Chile.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyễn Việt Cường reported to the President that the Vietnamese community in Chile, though not large, has always promoted the spirit of solidarity. Most of them reside in the southern regions of Chile while a smaller number live in the capital of Santiago and in northern areas.

State President Lương Cường meets with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Chile. VNA photo

He pledged to well carry out foreign affairs, enhance cooperation in national defence, economy and trade, while building a united representative agency, contributing to the development of the Việt Nam-Chile friendship and cooperative relations.

The State President commended and highly appreciated the efforts and achievements of the embassy as well as the overseas Vietnamese community in implementing the foreign policy of the Party and State, contributing to the continued development of the Việt Nam-Chile comprehensive partnership.

Talking about the situation in the home country, he affirmed that despite complicated global political and economic developments, Việt Nam, under the Party's leadership, had maintained macro-economic stability, controlled inflation, ensured major balances of the economy, kept socio-politic stability and strengthened national defence-security. The country had firmly protected its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, with foreign affairs increasingly promoted and achieving many positive results.

Emphasising that the Party and State always care for and consider the overseas Vietnamese community as an inseparable part, a resource of the Vietnamese nation and an important factor contributing to strengthening cooperative and friendship relations between Việt Nam and other countries, the State President requested the embassy to continue enhancing its role as a bridge to promote and deepen the Việt Nam-Chile relations.

He asked the embassy to continue to synchronously deploy activities of political diplomacy, economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy and community work, with priorities being given to promoting the role of advising, accompanying and supporting the implementation of economic, trade and investment cooperation programmes and projects between the two countries.

The embassy was also requested to continue building a united, transparent and strong Party organisation and representative agency.

State President Lương Cường said he hoped that the embassy would provide timely support for overseas Vietnamese in Chile. He expected that the Vietnamese community in Chile, despite its modest number, would always stay united, maintain close relations, keep regular contact and enthusiastically participate in activities towards the homeland.