Over the past 50 years, the Vietnam-Iran relationship has grown steadily in politics, diplomacy, culture, economy, and trade.

Iranian Ambassador to Vietnam Ali Akbar Nazari (photo: Khanh Lan/dangcongsan.vn)

50 years of cooperation for mutual development

The development of bilateral ties has been based on mutual respect, cooperation in politics, economy, and culture, and constructive cooperation within multilateral organizations.

Vietnam and Iran have strengthened their political-diplomatic relationship via State and National Assembly channels and people-to-people exchanges. Iranian Ambassador to Vietnam, Ali Akbar Nazari, said relations between Tehran and Hanoi are built on a strong political will. At meetings and contacts, high-ranking leaders of the two countries have affirmed respect for bilateral ties.

Mr. Nazari said that Vietnam is among the list of priority countries for expansion of bilateral relations. "50 years of broadly, friendly relationship which we marked this year as the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we always are good friends with slight differences between the two countries. There are a lot of common characteristics of important policies in culture, in viewpoint regarding multilateralism and unilateralism and many other factors. Vietnam is among the first countries that Iran is reviving the exchange of high-level delegations post-COVID."

Two-way trade increased 19-fold in 20 years, from 6.5 million USD in 2001 to more than 124 million USD in 2021. The two countries have also fostered ties in culture, education, science, and technology, according to Ambassador Ali Akbar Nazari.

"There are a lot of potentials. There's no competitiveness. We're complimenting each other in regard of trade. We're energy suppliers and exporters. If we go to agriculture, we import agricultural products from Vietnam," said the Iranian Ambassador.

Major milestones in Vietnam-Iran relations

Vietnamese Ambassador to Iran Luong Quoc Huy said: “This is the first visit made by a top Vietnamese legislator to Iran since 1999. It shows that current leaders of the two countries attach great importance to and desire to continue strengthening and expanding political and economic ties and boost cross-cultural exchange between the two developing nations.”

Vietnamese Ambassador to Iran Luong Quoc Huy (Source: The Vietnamese Embassy in Iran)

During the visit, the two sides will sign a Memorandum of Understanding, which will be the first cooperation document signed between the two legislatures, as well as other documents.

Mr. Huy said: “The upcoming visit to Iran by Chairman Hue and the visits by Vietnamese Party and State leaders to other countries so far this year reflect Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and taking the initiative in international integration, multilateralization, and diversification of relations that was set by the 13th National Party Congress. I believe Chairman Hue’s visit will boost the relationship between Vietnam and Iran to new heights.”

To celebrate 50 years of bilateral diplomatic ties, Vietnam and Iran will increase exchanges of visits of officials at all levels. The two sides will also organize a Culture Week, a Film Week, and a friendly football match to strengthen mutual understanding.

The 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties marks an important milestone in bilateral ties. It is the symbol of a solid friendship, effective cooperation, and the achievements of the two countries. It is time for Hanoi and Tehran to move toward deeper and more comprehensive cooperation for their shared prosperity.