Peru – Việt Nam: a strong relationship

The 197th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Peru is a new opportunity to highlight the relationship between two millennial countries, Việt Nam and Peru. It is also a time to look forward to the development of deeper and wider bonds in the years to come. Ambassador Augusto Morelli sends a message to Việt Nam News readers on this occasion.

On July 28 each year we commemorate the day that Peru gained its independence. Celebration activities fill the streets from small towns to big cities, and usually begin the day before with folk music played across parks and plazas in Peru.

The growing connection between Peru and Việt Nam is directly related to the rise and enrichment of our bilateral relations which began 24 years ago. Peru established diplomatic relations with Việt Nam in November, 1994. Since then, both countries have been supporting each other and have become good partners at international forums such as the United Nations, APEC, FOCALAE and the future CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership).

Peru-Việt Nam relations have been built on multiple matters, from trade and investment to culture and tourism.

Trade between our two countries started very low at just US$23 million in 2004, and has now increased 2300 per cent to nearly $530 million last year. The first meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on economic and technical cooperation at the end of 2016 created new momentum to unleash untapped potential for trade. Fresh fruit is the first example. This year, we’ve already seen the appearance of Peruvian table grapes in the Vietnamese market while there are still many potential products to come.

Regarding investment, PetroVietnam and Viettel both have interests in the fields of energy and telecommunication, and now they are expanding in Peru. Also, two Peruvian companies in the areas of beverage and tourism (AJE Group and Aqua Expeditions) have been operating in Việt Nam since 2009 and 2014, respectively. Over time, the Peruvian market has become more familiar to the Vietnamese business community and vice versa.

Peru and Việt Nam have signed cooperation agreements on cultural issues, anti-drug policies and the fishing industry, which are opening new platforms for both countries to enhance our cooperation.

On tourism, we have seen important growth of nearly 20 percent in Vietnamese visitors last year. It means that more and more Vietnamese are visiting Peru to discover our biodiversity, rich history and our worldwide known gastronomy.

During the APEC Summit last year in Đà Nẵng, the two countries reaffirmed their continued commitments to strengthening their political, diplomatic, economic and cultural relations. We are looking forward to continuing to support each other, with the shared vision of accomplishing the Bogor Goals, deepening regional integration, improving competitiveness and innovation among enterprises, especially micro, small and medium enterprises in the digital economy, and increasing of the resilience and inclusiveness of APEC economies.

On the occasion of National Day, the Embassy of Peru is organising a series of concerts with the participation of the Peruvian band Apu Inka in Hải Phòng at the Hải Phòng Opera House on July 29, in Hà Nội at The Youth Theatre on July 30 and at Olympia Schools on July 31 in order to introduce traditional Peruvian music to the Vietnamese people. In addition, the participation of the Embassy of Peru at the Việt Nam Foodexpo 2018 in November this year in HCM City will be a good chance to showcase the diversity of Peruvian cuisine to the Vietnamese people.

Finally, I would like to invite you all to celebrate with us on this special occasion, and I am sure both countries will continue to thrive together to better serve the interests of our citizens in the years to come. — VNS