Hanoi (VNA) 🀅– The upcoming state visit to Azerbaijan by Party General Secretary To Lam will elevate the relationship between the two countries to a new height, meeting the interests and aspirations of both peoples and contributing further to global peace and stability, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia and Azerbaijan Dang Minh Khoi told the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the trip.

Azerbaijan is the second stop on the Party chief’s tour of four countries—Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Belarus—from May 5 to 12. Notably, all four countries were members of the former Soviet Union. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Vietnam’s diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, which also means 75 years of relations with each of these countries. Each country holds a distinct place in Vietnam’s history of international relations. The Azerbaijani people and Government have maintained a particularly close friendship with Vietnam. A historic milestone was President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to Baku in 1920, before the Soviet Union was officially established. Later, after Vietnam formally established diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union, the President paid official visits to several members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, including Azerbaijan, in 1959. During that trip, he toured industrial facilities and collective farms, met with local citizens, and held talks with Azerbaijani leaders. Even today, Azerbaijani citizens still fondly recall President Ho Chi Minh’s 1959 visit during Khoi’s working trips to the country, the ambassador said. Heydar Aliyev, the first President of the Republic of Azerbaijan after the Soviet Union’s dissolution, visited Vietnam in 1983 when he was a Politburo member and First Deputy Chairman of the Soviet Union’s Council of Ministers. He attended the inauguration of Thang Long Bridge and developed a special affection for Vietnam. His son, current President Ilham Aliyev, often reminisces about his father’s visit to the country, Khoi went on. It is also noteworthy that during his visit to Azerbaijan, President Ho Chi Minh toured the oil and gas facilities at the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy and requested the Soviet Union to support in helping Vietnam build its own petroleum industry after national reunification. Fulfilling that request, after 1975, when Vietnam was reunified, Azerbaijan offered extensive training to a large number of Vietnamese students. It is estimated that around 5,000 Vietnamese studied in Baku, including approximately 2,000 students specialising in petroleum engineering. These alumni played a crucial role in the formation of the Vietnam-Russia joint venture Vietsovpetro, whose first General Director was an Azerbaijani—another symbol of the strong ties between the two nations. The diplomat noted that Party General Secretary Lam’s visit is the highest-level trip by a Vietnamese Party and State leader to Azerbaijan since the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties. It is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations—especially in the sectors Azerbaijan is strong at such as oil and gas, as well as many others. In recent years, Azerbaijan has actively pursued a policy of openness, making it a potential gateway for Vietnam to deepen its engagement with Central Asian and European countries. In return, Vietnam is also ready to serve as a bridge for Azerbaijan to enhance its relations with East Asian countries, according to the ambassador./.