President Ilham Aliyev: There are things that are not accidental in Vietnam-Azerbaijan relations

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev gives an interview to Vietnamese press. (Source: VNA)

During the visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam to Azerbaijan on May 7-8, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to the press to assess the current bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.

On May 7-8, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam paid a state visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan. How does the President assess the current bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries?

First of all, I would like to note that Azerbaijan and Vietnam have friendly relations that have lasted for more than half a century. In 1959, President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh visited the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1983, the leader of the Azerbaijani state, Heydar Aliyev, who was then First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, visited Vietnam. These important visits laid a solid foundation for the development of cooperation between the two countries.

My state visit to your country in 2014 and the official visit of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang to the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2015 opened a new page in relations, creating momentum for further development. Within the framework of the visit of President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang, the first Azerbaijan-Vietnam Business Forum was held, with the participation of representatives of enterprises in the fields of oil and gas, energy, construction, information and communications, finance, industry, trade, tourism, transport, pharmaceuticals, etc.

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In order to develop cooperation in various areas and identify new areas of interaction, the Azerbaijan-Vietnam Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation was established. The Commission serves as an important platform for regular dialogue and effective implementation of joint initiatives.

Political consultations are being held through the Foreign Ministries of both countries, the most recent of which took place at the end of April. Working groups on inter-parliamentary relations in the National Assembly of both Vietnam and Azerbaijan are operating effectively.

Our two countries are also cooperating effectively within the framework of major international organizations, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the United Nations. Azerbaijan attaches great importance to developing economic and trade relations with Vietnam. In 2024, the trade turnover between the two countries reached 223.93 million USD. We certainly have a lot of potential to increase this figure.

Azerbaijan and Vietnam also cooperate in the oil sector. In 2019, an agreement was signed between Vietnam's Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Corporation and the State Oil and Gas Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). Bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector is based on a solid historical foundation. Azerbaijani experts have played an important role in the formation and development of the oil and gas industry in Vietnam. It is no coincidence that the first General Director of the Vietsovpetro Joint Venture (Vietsovpetro for short), established in 1981 with the support of the Soviet Union, was Azerbaijani Jalal Mamedov.

Cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture, humanitarianism and education was established during the Soviet era and has developed more deeply in recent years.

In 1955, Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev composed "Vietnam Suite" for the first Soviet-Vietnamese joint documentary about the Vietnam War, which premiered in Hanoi in 2023.

During the years 1959-1962, at the invitation of President Ho Chi Minh and at the suggestion of the Soviet Government, Azerbaijani director Ajdar Ibrahimov actively participated in the establishment of the Vietnam Film School, where he organized advanced classes and shot 3 films. For his contributions, director Ajdar Ibrahimov was awarded the First Class Labor Medal of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

During the Soviet era, about 5,000 Vietnamese people studied in Azerbaijan, many of whom now hold senior positions in government agencies in Vietnam. During my visit to Hanoi in 2014, I met Vietnamese graduates of Azerbaijani universities who spoke enthusiastically about our country and the years they spent here. In 2015, the Vietnam-Azerbaijan Friendship Association was established in Hanoi, bringing together Vietnamese graduates of Azerbaijani universities.

Speaking of cultural relations between the two countries, I would like to note that they continue to develop and strengthen through various initiatives and projects. For example, in 2024, the film “Legend Makers” was screened in Baku, which tells about the heroism of Uncle Ho’s soldiers during the Vietnam War. In the same year, Vietnam Day was held in the capital Baku to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the visit of Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh to Azerbaijan.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation is actively implementing projects in Vietnam, including the construction of a primary school in Ha Giang province in 2018. In April this year, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva visited your country.

Here, she met with Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, the wife of General Secretary To Lam - Ngo Phuong Ly, representatives of the creative industry, leaders of Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism, as well as graduates of Vietnamese universities who studied in Azerbaijan. During the meeting, Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism was awarded a certificate of financial support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Thus, Azerbaijan-Vietnam relations are developing successfully in all important areas.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang visited Azerbaijan and co-chaired the Political Consultation, April 2025. (Photo: Bao Chi)

Could you please tell us about the significance of the upcoming visit of the Vietnamese leader to Azerbaijan with the aim of bringing bilateral relations to a new level?

General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Azerbaijan is his first as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This event is of special political significance, emphasizing the desire of the parties to deepen bilateral relations and open up new areas of cooperation. In this context, the visit can be considered an important milestone in the development of Azerbaijan-Vietnam cooperation.

The agenda of the visit covers a wide range of issues related to key aspects of the bilateral agenda. The two sides will have a comprehensive exchange of views on current issues, coordinate approaches and identify promising areas for further cooperation. Political dialogue, trade and economic relations, as well as humanitarian and cultural exchanges will be the focus of the visit.

"I believe that General Secretary To Lam's visit will become an important driving force for enhancing cooperation and opening new horizons for the development of Azerbaijan-Vietnam relations in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect."

In addition, special attention is paid to the development of inter-party dialogue. Cooperation between the New Azerbaijan Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam is showing positive momentum and the upcoming visit will further confirm the high level of interaction on political and ideological grounds.

I believe that General Secretary To Lam's visit will become an important driving force for strengthening cooperation and opening new horizons for the development of Azerbaijan-Vietnam relations in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

Could the President assess the prospects and potential for further development of Azerbaijan-Vietnam bilateral relations in the coming time?

I believe that our two countries have every opportunity to further develop the potential for cooperation in various fields. If we talk about trade and economic relations, there are now many new opportunities for cooperation that will not only stimulate growth, but also create a stable foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership, thereby contributing to the further diversification of our economies.

One of the promising areas for strengthening relations between the two countries is tourism. Establishing direct flights between Baku and Vietnamese cities, along with parallel development of tourism programs, will contribute to increasing the interest of the people of the two countries in each other's culture and history.

Strengthening joint cultural projects, developing humanitarian missionary programs and joint initiatives in the fields of health care and ecology – all these areas are of mutual benefit to both countries.

And of course, education. Azerbaijan always welcomes Vietnamese students. They can benefit from educational programs offered by Azerbaijan within the framework of grants and scholarships for citizens of NAM member countries. This will improve opportunities for academic exchange, scientific research and enhance people-to-people contacts between Azerbaijan and Vietnam. The implementation of exchange programs, as well as cooperation in the field of science and technology, can become another promising area for the development of bilateral relations.

Thank you very much Mr. President!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tong-thong-ilham-aliyev-co-nhung-dieu-khong-phai-ngu-nhien-trong-quan-he-viet-nam-azerbaijan-313518.html