In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Viet Duyen said that 42 years after the establishment of diplomatic ties, the Vietnam-Colombia friendship and cooperation have been consolidated and developed across all spheres, affirming that the State and people of Vietnam always treasure the friendship and want to boost collaboration with Colombia especially in fields that the countries hold huge potential in.
In regards to trade, Colombia ranks fifth among export markets of Vietnam in Latin America and two-way trade has been on the rise in recent years.
In 2020, bilateral trade hit 640.8 million USD, with Vietnam shipping engines, machinery, electrical equipment, footwear, aquatic products, garment-textile and metal wires worth 622.5 million USD to Colombia.
Meanwhile, Vietnam imported timber and wooden products, foodstuff, leather, organic chemicals and rare metals totaling 18.3 million USD from the Latin American nation.
The Vietnamese ambassador also took the occasion to introduce key export items of Vietnam like rice, coffee and peppercorn, stressing that Vietnam has kept COVID-19 under control and become an attractive destination for trade, investment and tourism in the region and the world.
A representative of the Colombia-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (CCV), which plays a significant role in linking firms and trade opportunities between the countries, pledged that the CCV will help Vietnamese firms study economic policies and market information to roll out investment in Colombia.
Vietnamese enterprises investing in major projects at Colombia’s free trade zones will enjoy incentives, heard the webinar.
Source: VNA