Chilean President’s Vietnam visit expected to deepen bilateral ties
The upcoming official visit to Vietnam by Chilean President José Antonio Kast would provide an opportunity for leaders of both countries to review 55 years of relations, set directions for the next stage of their comprehensive partnership and improve the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms.
Hanoi (VNA) – The upcoming official visit to Vietnam by Chilean President José Antonio Kast and his spouse from November 15-17 is expected to create fresh momentum for bilateral relations, opening up new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, and other areas, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Nguyen Viet Cuong.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the visit, which takes place as the two countries celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the ambassador said Vietnam-Chile relations have developed steadily on the foundation of traditional friendship. Chile is now one of Vietnam’s most important partners in Latin America.
In political and diplomatic affairs, mutual trust has been strengthened through successive high-level and ministerial visits. Following the then President Luong Cuong’s official visit to Chile in November 2024, Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna visited Vietnam in August 2026.
The two countries have established cooperation mechanisms, including political consultations between their foreign ministries and a free trade council. Both sides wish to make these mechanisms more regular, with their foreign ministers agreeing to organise the next meetings soon.
Parliamentary cooperation has also gained momentum. In 2026, the Vietnamese National Assembly and both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate of Chile established friendship parliamentary groups, continuing a tradition maintained by previous legislative terms. The two countries also coordinate closely at the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and other multilateral forums.
Economic and trade cooperation remains a major highlight. The bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), the first of its kind Vietnam signed with a Latin American country, has been in force for more than a decade. Together with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), it provides a favourable legal framework for businesses from both countries to expand cooperation.
According to Chilean Foreign Ministry statistics, two-way trade exceeded 2.1 billion USD in 2025, up 39% from 2024, with Chile's imports from Vietnam up by nearly 47%. Chile regards Vietnam as its largest trading partner in ASEAN, while Vietnam considers Chile its fourth-largest trading partner and third-largest export market in Latin America.
Cooperation has also expanded into defence, culture and people-to-people exchanges. In November 2024, the two countries signed a defence cooperation document, including provisions on sharing experience in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office in Chile also officially began operations. Cultural exchanges have been promoted through the 2024-2026 cultural cooperation programme, while visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders have been in place since 2017.
Activities marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations have been held in both countries this year.
However, the ambassador noted that economic cooperation remained modest compared with its potential. Vietnamese goods accounted for less than 2% of Chile's total imports, while Chile's exports to Vietnam stood at only over 300 million USD in 2025. Businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, have yet to fully benefit from the two trade agreements.
He identified three priority areas for expanding cooperation: agricultural market access in both directions, investment in renewable energy and strategic minerals, and science, technology, the digital economy and human resources development.
Regarding the significance of President Kast's visit, Cuong described it as the most important highlight of the anniversary year. He said the visit would provide an opportunity for leaders of both countries to review 55 years of relations, set directions for the next stage of their comprehensive partnership and improve the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms.
In economic terms, the ambassador expects the visit to encourage both sides to make better use of the bilateral FTA and CPTPP, while turning areas with significant potential into concrete cooperation projects.
The visit also carries significance beyond bilateral ties. As a founding member of the Pacific Alliance, Chile has played an active role in connecting Latin America with the Asia-Pacific region.
Vietnam and Chile are both members of APEC, CPTPP and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), which brings together 16 East Asian countries and 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Vietnam's role as CPTPP Chair in 2026 and its hosting of APEC in 2027 will provide further opportunities to strengthen coordination with Latin American partners, including Chile.
Cuong also highlighted Chile's ongoing accession process to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which Vietnam supports, saying its completion would create another link between Latin America, ASEAN and East Asia.
More than half a century ago, when Vietnam had yet to achieve national reunification, Chile became the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations. Today, it continues to serve as an important partner in strengthening Vietnam's links with Latin America, the diplomat stressed./.