Baku (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son had a meeting with Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on May 8 as part of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the Central Asian country.

Son expressed gratitude to Bayramov and his Azerbaijani colleagues for their meticulous preparations and warm reception for the Vietnamese Party chief’s first-ever trip to the country, laying stress on the historic significance of the visit which demonstrated the deep political trust between the two nations and their desire to develop the bilateral relations in a more substantive and effective manner.

He highlighted that the agreements reached by the leaders of the two nations will not only open a new chapter for the Vietnam – Azerbaijan relations but also facilitate cooperation between the two countries as well as between the Kavkaz and ASEAN regions.

The Vietnamese diplomat proposed the two foreign ministries promptly develop an action plan to implement the newly-established Strategic Partnership framework. He underscored the importance of maintaining their coordinating role in encouraging ministries, localities, and businesses of both sides to bring into full play the signed agreements during the visit.

As an immediate priority, Son suggested organising the third meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. Besides, he advocated for regular contacts between the two foreign ministries through delegation exchanges, political consultations, and meetings on the sidelines of multilateral events, while exploring possibilities for online consultations. The Azerbaijani FM highlighted the profound significance of the visit by Party General Secretary To Lam and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to Azerbaijan. He said the trip would help further deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Bayramov congratulated Vietnam on its important socio-economic achievements in recent years and praised the Southeast Asian nation’s foreign policy of peace. He affirmed that many Vietnamese goods, such as seafood and coffee, are well-received in Azerbaijan and hold strong potential for expanded exports to the market.

The Azerbaijani FM expressed his confidence that elevating the bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership will unlock new opportunities for cooperation across various fields. These include politics and diplomacy – notably through stronger ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party – as well as defence and security, economy, trade, and investment, with a shift from goods exchange to investment collaboration.

He identified energy, particularly oil, gas, and petrochemical products, and transport among the key areas, underscoring the potential of the trans-Caspian international transport route to boost trade connectivity between the Middle East, Europe, Russia, and ASEAN.

♏ Azerbaijan will encourage its aviation enterprises to operate in the Vietnamese market, he noted, adding that further bilateral cooperation is also anticipated in agriculture, as well as cultural, educational, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. Concluding the meeting, Son extended his invitation to Bayramov to visit Vietnam and the latter gladly accepted. /.