Vietnam, Trinidad and Tobago established diplomatic ties: On February 1, 2023, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang (R), Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, and Ambassador Dennis Francis Smith, Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations (UN) exhange the Joint Statement. (Photo: WVR)

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam, and Ambassador Dennis Francis Smith, Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations (UN), on behalf of the two Governments, signed the Joint Statement on the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries at New York.

Accordingly, Vietnam and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to exchange diplomatic representatives at the ambassadorial-level under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

On the same day, the document was sent to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for circulation and to UN member countries for information.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations with Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam has had official diplomatic relations with all 35 countries in America as well as 192 countries worldwide, including 190 out of 193 UN member countries. This demonstrates the foreign policy of diversification and multilateralisation of international relations, and attaching importance to developing relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.

On the occasion, Ambassador Giang and Ambassador Smith had a discussion on measures to promote cooperation between the two nations. They affirmed that the establishment of diplomatic ties will help open all-around cooperation in the future.

Vietnam, Trinidad and Tobago established diplomatic ties: At the signing ceremony. (Photo: WVR)

Ambassador Smith spoke highly of the cooperation potential between the two countries, stressing that Trinidad and Tobago has cooperated with Vietnam within multilateral mechanisms of the UN.

The Caribbean country looks forwards to bilateral cooperative relations with the Southeast Asian nation in various fields, including culture, people-to-people exchange, agriculture, fishery, energy, engineering and tourism, the diplomat said.

Establishing diplomatic relations with a self-reliant country and a reliable partner like Vietnam is a milestone in the foreign policy of Trinidad and Tobago, he stressed.

The two Ambassadors agreed to continue sharing information to explore strengths and potential for cooperation between the two countries, especially oil and gas exploitation, tourism and agriculture. They pledged to strengthen close coordination at the UN and other multilateral forums.