Vietnam Strengthens Ties with Armenia and Uzbekistan: NA Chairman's Visit Focuses on Cooperation and IPU Engagement

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn's official visits to Armenia and Uzbekistan from April 2-8, 2025, aimed to bolster traditional friendships and expand cooperation. These visits, which included high-level discussions and business forums, have strengthened political trust between Vietnam and the two Central Asian nations. Agreements were forged to increase exchanges at all levels and establish friendship parliamentary groups. Enhanced coordination and mutual support within international organizations were also prioritized. Economic cooperation is set to expand, with a focus on transport connectivity and creating favorable conditions for business and investment in sectors like healthcare, textiles, and agriculture. During the visit to Uzbekistan, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà and his Uzbek counterpart Jamshid Khodjaev met and called for maximizing potential and deepening ties, noting a 25% increase in bilateral trade. Both sides emphasized collaboration in trade, investment, infrastructure, oil and gas, garment-textiles, chemicals, agriculture, green transition, digital economy and AI. In Armenia, Ambassador Suren Baghdasaryan highlighted the significance of the visit for strengthening diplomatic and economic cooperation, building on President Alen Simonyan's visit to Vietnam in November 2024. Focus areas include high-tech industry, trade, educational exchanges, and people-to-people contacts. The first-ever Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Vietnamese and Armenian parliaments. Furthermore, NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn attended the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, advocating for parliamentary action on social development and justice. He emphasized that sustainable development must go hand in hand with social justice.