Opening up cooperation, creating new development opportunities for bilateral relations

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, will attend IPU-150 in Tashkent and pay official visits to Uzbekistan and Armenia.

Important foreign affairs activities of senior leaders in 2025

The visit is an important foreign activity of senior leaders in 2025. Affirming this significance, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Russian Federation, concurrently serving as Ambassador to Armenia and Uzbekistan Dang Minh Khoi stated that this is not only the first visit of the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam but also the first visit of a senior Vietnamese leader to Armenia and Uzbekistan. Therefore, "the visit has significance and importance on both multilateral and bilateral levels", Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi affirmed.

Vietnam and Armenia, Uzbekistan all have a good traditional friendship. Although diplomatic relations were established in 1992, the relationship between Vietnam - Armenia and Vietnam - Uzbekistan has a deeper history, dating back 75 years, when Vietnam officially established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union on January 30, 1950, while Armenia and Uzbekistan were republics within the Soviet Union.

In terms of politics and diplomacy, Armenia considers Vietnam an important partner in the Southeast Asian region. The two countries maintain high-level delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, most recently the meeting between General Secretary To Lam and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of attending the Francophone Summit (2024) and the official visit to Vietnam by Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan (November 2024).

During the talks within the framework of this visit, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and National Assembly Chairman Alen Simonyan agreed on many measures to continue strengthening the relationship between the two countries and the two National Assemblies. One of the important contents is that National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and National Assembly Chairman Alen Simonyan agreed to consider signing a Cooperation Agreement between the two National Assemblies to create a legal framework to promote and deepen parliamentary cooperation, contributing to building political trust and mutual understanding, and good friendly cooperation between the two countries.

In addition, the leaders of the two countries also had a number of meetings and contacts at multilateral forums. Vietnam and Armenia have an Intergovernmental Committee for Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, which held its first session in March 2017 in Hanoi. The two sides also coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums and frameworks, including the United Nations and the Francophone Community. Cooperation between the two countries' parliaments continues to be actively maintained, especially after the visit to Vietnam by the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament last year. The Armenian Parliament has established the Armenia-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group since 2021.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Armenia has been actively promoted in recent years after the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) took effect in 2016. Trade turnover in 2023 reached 342 million USD, and in 2024 it reached nearly 500 million USD. Armenia has a number of investment projects in Vietnam, including the Electronic Components Factory in Chu Lai Industrial Park, Quang Nam with a total registered capital of 12.9 million USD. The two countries have established an Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which held its first meeting in March 2017 in Hanoi.

With Uzbekistan, the two countries actively carry out delegation exchanges and bilateral contacts, notably the meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Mirziyoyev on the occasion of attending the expanded BRICS Leaders' Meeting in Russia (October 2024). Previously, in 2012, the President of Uzbekistan visited Vietnam... The two sides also maintain coordination at international and regional forums, including the United Nations, IPU, Forum on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures (CICA)... The National Assembly of Vietnam and the National Assembly of Armenia maintain contact activities within the framework of multilateral forums and conferences. The National Assembly of Uzbekistan has established the Friendship Parliamentarians' Group with Vietnam since 2023.

Regarding economic, trade, investment and trade relations between Vietnam and Uzbekistan, from 2021 to present, trade exchange between Vietnam and Uzbekistan has grown significantly, about 25%. Trade turnover in 2024 reached 202 million USD, an increase of 26.5% compared to 2023. The two sides have established an Intergovernmental Committee on economic - trade, scientific - technological cooperation, and have held 7 meetings so far.

Always value and wish to strengthen relations with traditional friendly countries

Throughout history, Vietnam, Armenia and Uzbekistan have had a traditional friendship and good cooperation. The Government and People of Armenia and Uzbekistan have always provided Vietnam with valuable and effective assistance during the heroic and arduous years of fighting for national liberation. Many Vietnamese scientists and experts have been enthusiastically trained by Armenian friends. During the Soviet period, Vietnam had 3,000 students studying in Uzbekistan and 2,000 students studying in Armenia. To date, those students still hold many important roles and positions in Party and State agencies, as well as Vietnamese enterprises. Uzbekistan has helped Vietnam develop the oil and gas industry.

And one of the things that needs to be emphasized, according to Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi, is that the leaders and people of Armenia and Uzbekistan have special feelings for Vietnam. Senior leaders of Armenia and Uzbekistan have visited Vietnam many times. In particular, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev loves Vietnam very much, originating from the years he was the leader of the Uzbekistan University of Water Resources in the 70s and 80s of the last century, where many Vietnamese students studied. "President Mirziyoyev was very impressed by the diligence and hard-working spirit of Vietnamese students at that time; and now, in his position as the country's leader, implementing many important reforms, he always monitors and directs the learning of experiences from other countries, especially Vietnam, in national integration and development," said Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi.

During this official visit to Armenia and Uzbekistan, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will have official talks with the Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly, the Chairman of the Senate, the Chairman of the House of Representatives of Uzbekistan, greet the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the two countries , and many other important activities.

Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi also said that, in addition to exchanging and strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation, sharing experiences, building legal institutions, and strengthening cooperation between friendship parliamentarian groups, the Chairman of our National Assembly will focus on discussing with the leaders of the two countries about major principles as well as specific measures to further expand cooperation in all fields, especially in the fields of politics, economics, trade, culture, education and training.

During the visit, Vietnam and the two countries will also organize a business forum, bringing together many state-owned and private enterprises to exchange and discuss specific areas of cooperation. With Armenia, Vietnam wishes to promote cooperation in the fields of phone production, electronic components, textiles, agricultural products, seafood and other areas where both sides have strengths. With Uzbekistan, the two sides will discuss strengthening cooperation in the fields of oil and gas exploitation, minerals, agriculture and textiles...

“I hope that the visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife to Armenia and Uzbekistan will contribute to promoting cooperation and opening up new development opportunities for bilateral relations, in accordance with the needs and interests of each country, meeting the expectations of the people of each country,” Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi emphasized.

On the basis of the good traditional friendship and the current world and regional situation, the attendance at the 150th IPU Congress and the official visit to Armenia and Uzbekistan of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation is of special importance.

Not only to continue implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, proactiveness and activeness in comprehensive and extensive international integration in the spirit of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolutions and Conclusions of the Central Committee on implementing bilateral and multilateral foreign policies as well as international integration in the new situation; but also to affirm Vietnam's role as a proactive, active and responsible member at the IPU as well as at multilateral forums.

At the same time, he affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy of always valuing and wishing to strengthen relations with traditional friends, including Armenia and Uzbekistan, and affirmed his determination to work with the two countries to promote cooperation in many aspects, in the context of the increasingly important role of the Central Asian region and the Caucasus region in international cooperation.

The working trip also aims to consolidate and enhance mutual understanding, promote political dialogue at the highest level on the National Assembly channel, exchange measures to promote cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the two countries' National Assemblies; and create a favorable environment to promote mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation with each country.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/khai-thong-hop-tac-mo-ra-co-hoi-phat-trien-moi-cho-quan-he-song-phuong-post408902.html