(VOVworld) – The government of Peru has decided to open an embassy in Vietnam as part of its policy of strengthening friendship, cooperation and political dialogue.

A political consultative meeting between Vietnam and Peru (photo: Peruvian Foreign Ministry)

According to a decree published in Peru's official gazette on March 13, the move is part of the Peruvian government’s efforts to consolidate its "strategic presence" in the Asia-Pacific region and continue to expand political-diplomatic and economic-trade ties with Southeast Asian nations. The decree said that Vietnam is a very important nation in Southeast Asia, which serves as a bridge for expanding business operations to other regions. Vietnam and Peru established diplomatic ties in 1994. Two-way trade turnover over the last 5 years trebled, reaching 180 million USD in 2012.