(VOVWORLD) -President Luong Cuong and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam on Friday will leave for an official visit to Chile until Tuesday at the invitation of Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font. This will be President Cuong's first overseas trip in his new position.
 President Luong Cuong. Photo: VOV
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In an interview with the press prior to the visit, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang said the first visit by a President of Vietnam after 15 years is right on the 55th anniversary of the historic meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and President Salvador Allende, an event that laid the foundation for Chile to become the first country in South America to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
On that foundation, Vietnam-Chile relations have been progressing. Two-way trade turnover over more than a decade has increased fourfold, reaching 1.5 billion USD in 2023. Currently, Chile is one of Vietnam's most important partners in the region. It is the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement with Vietnam in 2014.
President Luong Cuong’s visit will invigorate Vietnam-Chile relations, especially in areas where the two sides have much potential for cooperation, Hang said.