Ceremony marks 45 years of Việt Nam-Colombia diplomatic relations

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee Vũ Hải Hà presents a souvenir to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia Jorge Rojas at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Trương Phi Hùng

CARACAS — The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and Colombia, together with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has held a ceremony in Bogota to mark the 45th anniversary of the Việt Nam-Colombia diplomatic relations.

In his remarks at the July 22 event, Colombian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Rojas Rodrigez, on behalf of the local government, extended heartfelt condolences to the Vietnamese government and people over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng.

He took the occasion to praise the late Party chief for the leader’s significant contributions to Việt Nam’s socio-economic progress, with attendees and guests observing a moment of silence in commemoration of the Vietnamese leader.

Ambassador Vũ Trung Mỹ said after more than four decades, the Việt Nam-Colombia relationship has been increasingly strengthened and become more substantive across myriad fields, particularly in economic and trade cooperation. Bilateral trade hit US$790 million last year, doubling that of 2018 and making Colombia Việt Nam’s fifth largest trade partner in Latin America.

The Colombian official shared his delight at the positive developments in bilateral relations over recent years, particularly as both countries have collaborated and supported each other within international organisations, multilateral forums, and inter-regional cooperation mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), and joint work between ASEAN and the Pacific Alliance.

Admiring Việt Nam’s historical struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as the achievements of its ongoing reform process led by the CPV, Rodrigez stressed the need for both nations to continue expanding collaboration across all sectors to match their strong political relationship.

Prior to the ceremony, the embassy and the Colombian Diplomatic Academy co-organised a seminar on the two countries’ relations and a photo exhibition to showcase the beauty of the Vietnamese nation, culture, and people. — VNS