Armenian Ambassador to Vietnam Suren Baghdasaryan. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

At the invitation of President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan, President of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man and his wife Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, along with a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly, are paying an official visit to the Republic of Armenia.

On this occasion, Armenian Ambassador to Vietnam Suren Baghdasaryan gave an interview to a reporter from Vietnam News Agency about the visit and cooperation between the two countries, especially on the National Assembly channel.

-   National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly, are on an official visit to the Republic of Armenia. According to the Ambassador, what is the significance of this visit to the relationship between the two countries?

Ambassador Suren Baghdasaryan: Following the official visit to Vietnam by the delegation led by the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan in November 2024, President Tran Thanh Man's visit to Armenia is of great significance for the bilateral relations between Armenia and Vietnam. This is a symbol of the strengthening of diplomatic relations and political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The visit also reflects the commitment of both countries to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, promoting closer relations at all levels.

We look forward to further strengthening and deepening cooperation and political dialogue in important areas such as high-tech industry, trade, educational exchanges and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnam. Vietnam is an important partner of Armenia in the ASEAN region.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Armenian National Assembly Chairman Alen Simonyan pose for a photo. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

-   Over the past 30 years, Vietnam and Armenia have continuously promoted effective cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral levels. According to the Ambassador, what are the notable highlights in the cooperation between the two countries in recent times and the potential for future cooperation between the two countries?

Ambassador Suren Baghdasaryan: After Armenia gained independence, we began to steadily develop intergovernmental relations with Vietnam. In recent years, we have witnessed official visits by the President of Armenia to Vietnam, as well as visits by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam to Armenia.

The official visit of our Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in 2019 further strengthened this relationship.

The opening of a permanent diplomatic mission in Hanoi in 2013 demonstrates the importance our country places on its partnership with Vietnam.

Parliamentary cooperation plays an important role in the relations between our two countries. As mentioned above, the visit of the Armenian delegation to Vietnam in November last year, led by the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, gave a new impetus to the high-level political dialogue between the two countries, which had been interrupted due to significant events in recent years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and various regional and global developments.

During the visit, many issues related to bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues of mutual concern were discussed.

It should be mentioned that over the past three decades, Vietnam and Armenia have continuously promoted effective cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Some key highlights: In terms of diplomatic relations, both countries maintain friendly and constructive relations, exchanging visits and promoting cooperation at international forums, such as the United Nations.

In terms of economic cooperation, trade and investment between the two countries have gradually increased, especially Vietnam witnessed growth in exports to Armenia, including items such as electronics, textiles and agricultural products.

Armenia also expressed interest in expanding trade relations with Vietnam, especially in the fields of technology and agriculture.

Cultural exchanges and educational cooperation have become important pillars of the relationship.

Vietnamese students have studied in Armenia and vice versa, promoting deeper people-to-people exchanges.

Some of the areas with potential for future cooperation are trade, high technology and investment.

Both countries could explore new areas for economic cooperation, including technology, renewable energy and agriculture.

Armenia's strategic location in the South Caucasus region offers Vietnam access to new markets.

In the field of cultural and educational exchanges, the two countries have the potential to further strengthen people-to-people ties through educational partnerships, tourism promotion and cultural diplomacy.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife visit Yerevan National University. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

- As the Ambassador emphasized, in the overall cooperation between the two countries, cooperation between the two National Assemblies has always been maintained, contributing to promoting bilateral cooperation. Could you please share more clearly about the cooperation between the two National Assemblies in recent times and the prospects for cooperation between the two legislative bodies, contributing to further promoting bilateral cooperation?

Ambassador Suren Baghdasaryan: The National Assembly of Armenia and Vietnam have established a solid foundation for cooperation, and both sides are committed to strengthening relations. During the visit of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia to Vietnam, the two sides discussed expanding parliamentary cooperation, including increasing exchanges at all levels, sharing legislative experience and strengthening cooperation mechanisms.

The two sides said that while parliamentary relations are maintained through multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), direct bilateral exchanges remain modest.

To address this issue, the two sides agreed to increase mutual visits between leaders, agencies and National Assembly deputies. The two sides signed an official cooperation agreement between the two National Assemblies within the framework of the official visit to Armenia by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to establish a legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

Looking ahead, the prospects for deeper cooperation between the two countries' legislatures remain promising.

The two parliaments plan to continue promoting mutual trust, mutual understanding and institutional development through legislative exchanges.

In addition, the two sides aim to facilitate broader cooperation in the economic, trade and educational fields, ensuring that the participation of the National Assembly contributes to the overall strengthening of Armenia-Vietnam relations.

- Thank you very much, Ambassador./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hop-tac-quoc-hoi-gop-phan-vao-tang-cuong-tong-the-quan-he-viet-nam-armenia-post1024902.vnp