Party General Secretary begins State visit to Azerbaijan
This visit is the highest level trip by a Vietnamese Party and State leader to Azerbaijan since the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties in 1992.
From left: First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyyubov (1st) welcomes Party General Secretary To Lam (2nd) and his spouse at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. (Photo: VNA)
Baku (VNA)๊ – Following a state visit to Kazakhstan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and his spouse, accompanied by a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku on the afternoon of May 7 (local time), officially beginning a two-day state visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev.
Vietnam and Azerbaijan enjoy a long-standing traditional friendship, with diplomatic relations formally established on September 23, 1992. In recent years, bilateral economic and trade cooperation has seen strong growth. Vietnam primarily exports computers, phones and components, and seafood to Azerbaijan, while importing crude oil and petroleum products.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Azerbaijan Dang Minh Khoi and his spouse welcome Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. (Photo: VNA)
Azerbaijan has recently embraced more open policies, offering Vietnam an advantageous gateway to strengthen ties not only with Central Asian nations but also with European countries. In return, Vietnam stands ready to act as a bridge for Azerbaijan to expand relations with East Asian partners.
This visit is the highest level trip by a Vietnamese Party and State leader to Azerbaijan since the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties in 1992. It is expected to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas where Azerbaijan has strengths, particularly the oil and gas sector./.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse, accompanied by a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on the afternoon of May 7 (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan from May 7 to 8, 2025, at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov came to Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport to see off General Secretary Lam, his spouse, and the Vietnamese delegation.
With a strong foundation of friendship and growing mutual interests, the state visit by Party General Secretary To Lam is poised to elevate Vietnam–Azerbaijan relations to new heights - in line with the aspirations and benefit of both nations, for global peace and stability.
The upcoming state visit to Azerbaijan by Party General Secretary To Lam is expected to pave the way for significant breakthroughs, helping to foster more substantive and effective cooperation.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
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Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
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The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
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Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
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The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
