Mexico (VNA) –♈ A new headquarters for the Vietnamese Embassy’s trade office in Mexico was opened in Polanco district, Mexico City, on June 16 to promote trade and economic links between Vietnam and other countries.

Ambassador Le Linh Lan highlighted the significance of the trade office to the development goals of Vietnam to increase bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation with Mexico . She noted that Vietnam has established strategic partnerships with 15 countries and comprehensive cooperation with 10 others. In 2015, Vietnam completed negotiations and signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with a number of nations while attracting 22 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI). The year 2016 will be a highlight in the country’s international integration, she said, adding that it is also the first year to implement the Resolution adopted at the 12 th National Party Congress and realise missions of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The new headquarters is expected to increase connectivity between Vietnamese and Mexican businesses, she said. The bilateral trade is hoped to exceed 2.2 billion USD – which was reached in 2015, since the two nations hold enormous potential and opportunities arising from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The establishment of the joint committee on economic, trade and investment cooperation in 2015 also looks to facilitate two-way trade, she added. Sergio Ley López, President of the Business Section for Asia and Oceania under the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE), hailed Vietnam ’s efforts to bring Vietnamese goods closer to Mexican people, saying both countries have great potential to become strategic partners, especially once they have become TPP members. He spoke highly of the Vietnamese market and said the two economies will be supplementary and supportive thanks to TPP, thus increasing two-way trade. The Vietnamese Embassy’s trade office was set up in Mexico in 2005.-VNA