Buenos Aires (VNA) – Journalist and scholar Gaston Fiorda from the East Asian centre under Argentina’s Gino Germani Research Institute has described Vietnam as an important destination within ASEAN at a recent scientific workshop recently held in the South American country.

In his presentation, the scholar laid stress on the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), particularly Party General Secretary To Lam, in driving state apparatus streamlining while accelerating science-techology development, digital transformation, international integration, and private sector growth.

He noted that the CPV has identified its strategic goal of elevating the nation to a developed and high-income status by 2045. This roadmap encompasses the acceleration of industrialisation and modernisation efforts, knowledge-based economy development, innovation enhancement, labour productivity improvement, and strengthened national competitiveness.

Besides, he added, Vietnam has paid due attention to high-quality human resources training, refinement of a socialist-oriented market economy, and promotion of sustainable, equitable, and inclusive development.

On the sidelines of the workshop, member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies Santiago Pauli, who is also head of the Argentina – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, told the Vietnam News Agency that the two countries' relations hold strategic importance. He advocated expanding cooperation beyond trade, acknowledging that the bilateral ties, cultivated over the years, have yielded tangible benefits.

Pauli held that both sides boast huge opportunities to develop their partnerships across technology, education, and culture, underscoring the two countries could advance towards mutually beneficial agreements, whether through the ASEAN – Mercosur framework or direct bilateral negotiations.

The 🌌workshop was held by the Argentine Chamber of Deputies' committee for external relations and international cooperation and the ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires on June 12./.