During the war in Vietnam, the Mexican Government, though retaining neutrality, expressed profound sympathy with the Vietnamese people’s just struggle. Anti-war and pro-Vietnam movements spread intensively in Mexico.

After the liberation of the South Vietnam, on May 19th, 1975, Vietnam and Mexico established diplomatic relations. In 1975, Vietnam opened its Embassy in Mexico. Mexico opened its Embassy in Hanoi in 1976, but closed it in 1980 for economic difficulty reason. In July 2000, Mexico reopened its Embassy in Hanoi.

Regarding high-ranking visit exchanges, the most significant ones have been the visit to Mexico by Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (in September 1979), National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Huu Tho (in April 1985), Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (in October 2002, on the occasion of the 10th APEC Summit), Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (in December 2001), Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Co Thach (in 1975 and 1988), Nguyen Manh Cam (in 1996), and Nguyen Dy Nien (in August 2002).

On the Mexican side, there have been a number of visits to Vietnam by diplomatic delegations, Parliament, President’s Special Envoy… Mexico completed the bilateral negotiations on Vietnam’s accession to WTO on April 28, 2006, and supported Vietnam’s candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, term 2008-2009.

The economic-trade ties between the two countries have grown, but not yet met each country’s needs and potentials. The two-way trade volume was USD 187 million in 2004, 227 million in 2005 and over 300 million in 2006, in which Vietnam often enjoyed a trade surplus. Mexico imports apparel, footwear and handicraft from Vietnam while exporting cotton, material plastic and furniture to Vietnam.

The two countries have signed several cooperation agreements in different areas such as agriculture, healthcare, culture, education, science and technology… Mexico has provided Vietnam with plant seeds, high-yield livestock; helped train Vietnamese technicians in gas and oil exploration and production, mining and cultivation etc. Vietnam, on its part, has cooperated with Mexico in agriculture (providing plant seeds, industrial machines, and sending experts in rice cultivation), healthcare (sending doctors, healthcare experts, and establishing many effective acupuncture centres in Mexico), etc.​