Vietnam’s ambassador to Chile, Nguyen Viet Cuong, has concluded a working visit to the Aysén region, Chile’s main salmon-producing hub, as the two countries look to deepen economic cooperation amid preparations for a new Chilean government taking office later this year.
The Jan. 25-30 trip marked the first visit by a Vietnamese ambassador to Chile’s far south and coincided with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Officials on both sides said the visit reflected efforts to expand the Vietnam–Chile Comprehensive Partnership beyond the capital to key regional economic centres.
Located about 1,350 km south of Santiago, Aysén accounts for roughly 80% of Chile’s salmon output, underpinning the country’s position as the world’s second-largest salmon exporter after Norway.
During the visit, Cuong met with regional and local leaders, including Aysén Governor Marcelo Santana Vargas and senator-elect Miguel Ángel Calisto Águila, who will take office in March. Santana said the region was well placed to supply Vietnam with high-quality, sustainably produced food products, particularly salmon, and expressed interest in strengthening long-term cooperation.
In coordination with industry body SalmonChile, the Vietnamese embassy organised two business seminars with local firms, bringing together companies involved in fisheries services, shipbuilding, aquaculture technology, environmental research, energy, tourism and seafood processing. Several participants said they were interested in importing Vietnamese products, including solar panels, construction materials and consumer goods.
At the events, Cuong outlined Vietnam’s development priorities, including science and technology, private-sector growth, the marine economy and international integration. He highlighted the complementary strengths of Chile’s salmon industry and Vietnam’s shrimp farming sector, as well as opportunities to link seafood production with tourism.
The ambassador also pointed to existing trade frameworks supporting bilateral cooperation, including the Vietnam–Chile free trade agreement, in force since 2014, as well as the CPTPP and APEC.
Cuong visited facilities operated by AquaChile and Mowi to review advanced aquaculture technologies and discussed potential cooperation with Vietnam’s seafood industry through the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The Aysén visit forms part of Vietnam’s broader economic diplomacy efforts to deepen trade and investment ties with Chile, particularly in key seafood-producing regions.
VFM
