Buenos Aires (VNA) - Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino told Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Ngo Minh Nguyet on July 19 that the two countries should strengthen exchanges to expand bilateral economic cooperation.

Mondino said that her country is working to speed up the reform of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) towards opening up the market and negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with other countries, including Vietnam.

Argentina will also strive to promote the negotiations and signing of a double taxation avoidance agreement with Vietnam, she stated.

The Argentine FM underlined that her country will continue to share experience and strengthen technology sharing with Vietnam in the field of high-tech agriculture, especially rice production and the farming of some kinds of plants.

Argentina hopes to promote satellite cooperation projects for farming and expand defence cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation with Vietnam, which covers the area of bomb and mine clearance, she said.

For her part, Ambassador Nguyet welcomed recent new economic policies of Argentina, holding that economic expansion will benefit both countries.

She said that in order to expand and deepen bilateral relations, Vietnam will continue to increase visits at high and all levels across all fields in the future.

The diplomat revealed that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh plans to pay an official visit to Argentina this year, adding the two countries will exchange many visits and meetings through the Party, parliament, and locality-to-locality channels in 2024.

Ambassador Nguyet thanked FM Mondino for making many positive statements supporting Vietnam and Indonesia in negotiations with the MERCOSUR for an FTA at the bloc's summit in Paraguay.

She said she hopes the two countries will negotiate for and sign the bilateral double taxation avoidance agreement, and organise the 8th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on bilateral cooperation and the deputy foreign minister-level Political Consultation this year.

Vietnam and Argentina have enjoyed traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation in all fields, with regular high-level visits.

The two sides have agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums and international organisations in the future.

꧒ Vietnam is a strategic trade partner of Argentina with two-way trade reaching 3.5 billion USD last year, with Vietnam's exports of 1.4 billion USD./.