The Argentinean government recognizes that Vietnam has a market economy, which is in line with its agreements signed at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner told Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during their talk on April 16.

Mr Dung said he hailed the decision by the Argentine government and hoped that it will increase bilateral ties of trade and investment.

The two leaders agreed to further boost cooperation in various other fields.

PM Dung conveyed State President Triet’s invitation to visit Vietnam to President Fernandez de Kirchner who accepted the invitation and said she will invite footballer Maradona to join her. She proposed the two countries complete an agreement allowing Argentina to help Vietnam develop its football.

More bilateral cooperation between legislative bodies

On April 17, PM Dung met with the Chairman of the Argentine Senate, Julio Cobos, and attended a ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the Ho Chi Minh statue in Vietnam Park in Buenos Aires.

During the meeting, Mr Dung expressed his hope that the Argentine Senate will continue working to create legal avenues for comprehensive bilateral relations. He supports the two legislative bodies exchanging experiences in building a law-governed State and assisting each other in international and multilateral forums.

Argentina is one of Vietnam’s important partners in South America; two-way trade between the two countries reached more than US$630 million in 2009.

PM Dung and his entourage are scheduled to visit Mendoza, one of Argentina’s biggest states on April 18.