Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Azerbaijan

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Vietnam and Azerbaijan (hereinafter referred to as "the two Parties") have built a strong, traditional friendship and developed multifaceted cooperation based on trust, equality, and mutual respect for the benefit of both sides.

The Vietnam-Azerbaijan relationship is built on the foundation of adherence to the standards and principles of international law, particularly the United Nations Charter. These principles include respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as their political systems; peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law; non-interference in each other's internal affairs; and the promotion of peace, security, and prosperity in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

Building on the outstanding achievements of bilateral relations in various fields over the past 33 years, with immense potential for cooperation and shared belief in a bright future, and in order to fulfill the aspirations of the people of both countries, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, and Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, agreed to adopt a Joint Declaration on upgrading Vietnam-Azerbaijan relations to a Strategic Partnership during the State visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, from May 7 to 8, 2025.

The Vietnam-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership was established to elevate bilateral and multilateral relations to a new level. This upgrade will strengthen and consolidate existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, paving the way for the formation of new mechanisms to further deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Within the framework of the Strategic Partnership, Vietnam and Azerbaijan will continue to further deepen cooperation in all fields to ensure the practical interests of the people of both countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world, focusing on the following areas:

REGARDING POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Both sides will promote high-level visits, including at the highest level; strengthen exchanges and contacts through all channels; and explore the possibility of establishing new cooperation mechanisms between ministries, departments, provinces, and cities of both sides.

The two sides will strengthen exchanges and contacts between the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs on bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues of common concern, including regularly holding political consultations.

Both sides expressed their desire to strengthen relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the ruling "New Azerbaijan" Party, and to promote cooperation through parliamentary channels in order to enhance the role of the parliaments of both countries in implementing the substance of the Vietnam-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership.

ON COOPERATION IN ECONOMY, TRADE, ENERGY, AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION

Both sides expressed their readiness to promote substantive and comprehensive economic cooperation, effectively implement signed documents, and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral economic cooperation mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as a key platform to unify priorities and facilitate long-term cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, and technology. Both sides will propose measures to exploit opportunities and create breakthroughs in trade and investment cooperation to achieve bilateral trade turnover commensurate with the Strategic Partnership.

Both sides agreed to strengthen research into solutions to support businesses in effectively utilizing existing cooperation mechanisms and frameworks to promote bilateral investment and trade activities.

Both sides agreed to strongly promote cooperation in the energy sector, exploring possibilities and directions for enhancing cooperation in clean and renewable energy. They will strengthen information exchange and promote cooperation in oil and gas exploration, oil and gas services, and oil and gas human resource training.

Both sides are promoting the opening of markets for agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products to contribute to increasing bilateral trade turnover, strengthening agricultural cooperation, supporting research and application of high technology in the agricultural sector; and promoting the feasibility of implementing joint programs and projects on climate change, environmental protection, and green growth.

Both sides agreed to strengthen the exchange of experience in cooperation on the development of railways, roads, air and sea transport; and to promote cooperation in utilizing the international trans-Caspian transport route to enhance connectivity.

REGARDING DEFENSE AND SECURITY COOPERATION

Both sides expressed their readiness to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and security through delegation exchanges, enhanced information exchange, coordination, and expanded cooperation in the security and defense industries, technology transfer, training, and education.

Law enforcement agencies of both countries will strengthen the exchange of information, experience, and coordination in combating terrorism and other types of crime, including transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and other security threats and challenges of mutual concern.

REGARDING COOPERATION IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING, JUSTICE, CULTURE, TOURISM, AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

Both sides are ready to effectively implement educational cooperation, consider granting scholarships to students from each side according to needs and fields of study; promote comprehensive and continuous cooperation, build mechanisms for exchanging experts, lecturers, and students between the two countries, not only academic exchanges for students and lecturers but also expanding to training highly qualified experts.

Both sides are ready to promote the implementation of effective cooperation activities in the field of law in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan, signed on March 8, 2016.

Both sides agreed to strengthen the development and implementation of cultural and historical exchange and promotion programs, organize Culture Days in each other's territories, promote the exchange of cultural and artistic delegations between the two sides, enhance the promotion of the tourism potential and strengths of both sides, and actively exchange experiences and information on policies and management in the field of tourism.

Both sides committed to creating conditions to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries, and to further promote friendly exchanges between the peoples of the two countries, including the signing of new documents to establish sister city relationships between provinces and cities of the two countries.

ON COLLABORATION IN MULTILATERAL FORUMS

Both sides expressed their readiness to expand and deepen cooperation, coordinate closely on viewpoints, and consider supporting each other in regional and international organizations, especially the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Summit on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other multilateral frameworks. Both sides will leverage each other's strengths and positions to expand cooperation between Azerbaijan and ASEAN, as well as with ASEAN member states. They will strengthen consultations and coordinate positions on regional and international issues, enhancing cooperation in addressing security challenges, including epidemics, climate change, terrorism, transnational crime, cybercrime, food security, energy and water resources, and other issues of common concern.

The joint declaration was adopted on May 7, 2025, in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, in Vietnamese, Azerbaijani, and English.