Hanoi, April 24 -- Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang has urged Argentina, as coordinator of negotiations, to accelerate progress towards an early signing of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) following the launch of talks in December 2025. The official made the proposal during her recent online meeting with Argentina's Secretary of International Economic Relations Fernando Brun, where they reviewed bilateral trade ties and discussed cooperation prospects for 2026. Thang also reported progress from the eighth session of the Vietnam-Argentina Intergovernmental Committee on economic, trade, and science and technology cooperation, including the comple...