Chilean President arrives in Hanoi for official visit to Vietnam

At Noi Bai International Airport, the delegation was welcomed by member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Science and Technology, Vu Hai Quan; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Minh Hang; and Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile, Nguyen Viet Cuong.

Accompanying the Chilean President and his wife on the visit are Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna; Chilean Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam Nasly Bernal; Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism and Minister of Mining Daniel Mas; Minister of Agriculture Jaime Campos; Chairman of the Board of Fundación Chile Julio Pertuzé; and Secretary-General for Foreign Policy Frank Tressler.

President José Antonio Kast Rist was born on January 18, 1966, in Santiago, the capital of Chile. He studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile).

He began his political career in local government, serving as a councilor in the municipality of Buin from 1996 to 2000. He was subsequently elected to Chile's Chamber of Deputies, serving four consecutive terms from 2002 to 2018.

In 2019, he founded the Republican Party of Chile. He currently serves as President of the Republic of Chile for the 2026–2030 term.

The visit takes place amid increasingly substantive and effective development of Vietnam–Chile relations. In 2026, the two countries are celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations (March 25, 1971–2026) with a series of meaningful activities. The visit is expected to provide fresh impetus for further strengthening bilateral ties.

Building on the comprehensive partnership, which has been continuously consolidated and expanded across various fields, President Kast's official visit to Vietnam is of particular significance, helping create new momentum for deeper and more effective bilateral cooperation.

Nguyen Viet Cuong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile, said the visit carries significance beyond bilateral ties. Both Vietnam and Chile are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Vietnam's role as CPTPP Chair in 2026 and its hosting of APEC in 2027 provide opportunities to strengthen coordination with Latin American members, particularly Chile, a close partner of Vietnam.

With their longstanding friendship, political trust and commitment from both countries' leaders, President Kast's official visit and that of his wife are expected to usher in a new phase of more substantive and effective bilateral cooperation, while further enriching Vietnam's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.