Hanoi, August 24, 2026 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung and Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Vietnam–Chile Comprehensive Partnership and expanding cooperation across a wide range of areas.
Minister Mackenna is paying an official visit to Vietnam from August 23 to 25 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Trung. The visit coincides with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Chile, established on March 25, 1971.
Welcoming his Chilean counterpart, Trung said the visit demonstrated the Chilean Government’s determination to further advance bilateral relations. He stressed that Vietnam attaches great importance to strengthening ties with Chile, which was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and remains an important partner in Latin America.
The Vietnamese minister noted that the Comprehensive Partnership had continued to develop positively, particularly in trade and economic cooperation. Chile is Vietnam’s third-largest export market in Latin America, while Vietnam is Chile’s largest trading partner within ASEAN.
Trung called for further efforts to deepen political ties, strengthen mutual trust and expand substantive cooperation based on mutual benefit and development. He emphasized the importance of enhancing coordination between the two foreign ministries in promoting bilateral relations.
He proposed increasing high-level and all-level delegation exchanges, strengthening cooperation between the two parliaments, political parties and socio-political organisations, and organising the eighth political consultation between the two foreign ministries and the sixth meeting of the Free Trade Council at an early date.
The two sides agreed to promote business connectivity and expand investment and cooperation in sectors with significant potential, including mining, green transition, the digital economy, banking and finance, culture and education, science and technology, security and defence.
They also agreed to work towards new cooperation agreements to strengthen the legal framework for bilateral relations and give greater substance to the Comprehensive Partnership.
For his part, Minister Mackenna reaffirmed that Chile attaches great importance to its relations with Vietnam and seeks to strengthen bilateral ties as part of its broader engagement with the Asia-Pacific region.
He highlighted the importance of the bilateral free trade agreement and the two countries’ membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which provide significant opportunities for expanding cooperation.
Mackenna welcomed Vietnam’s proposals and pledged that the Chilean Foreign Ministry would continue working closely with its Vietnamese counterpart to make bilateral relations more substantive and effective.
He expressed the hope that the two countries would further strengthen economic, trade and investment ties, particularly amid global economic uncertainty. He also called for improved market access for agricultural products and expanded cooperation in technology, renewable energy and critical strategic minerals.
On regional and international issues, the two ministers agreed to enhance coordination at international organisations and multilateral forums, particularly within the United Nations.
During the visit, Minister Mackenna invited Foreign Minister Trung to pay an official visit to Chile. Trung accepted the invitation and proposed that the two sides coordinate through diplomatic channels to determine a mutually convenient date.
As part of his official visit, Minister Mackenna is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng and meet representatives of Vietnamese businesses.
