The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that General Secretary To Lam and his spouse will make state visits to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus, and pay an official visit to the Russian Federation.

During his time in Russia, he will also attend the 80th anniversary celebration of Victory Day commemorating the Soviet triumph in the Great Patriotic War.

The visits, scheduled from May 5 to 12, follow invitations from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus. General Secretary To Lam will be accompanied by a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation.

Vietnam-Kazakhstan relations have witnessed positive development, particularly after President Tokayev’s official visit to Vietnam in August 2023. However, the current trade volume between the two countries remains modest given their economic potential. Since their exports are not in direct competition, both nations see opportunities to complement each other’s markets and aim to raise bilateral trade to USD $1.5 billion. They have also signed a visa exemption agreement for holders of ordinary passports.

Vietnam and Azerbaijan maintain a long-standing traditional friendship that predates their official diplomatic ties established in 1992. Notably, President Ho Chi Minh’s 1959 visit to Azerbaijan laid a strong foundation for bilateral relations. In 2024, the two countries commemorate the 65th anniversary of that historic visit.

The two sides regularly exchange high-level delegations and operate bilateral mechanisms to promote cooperation across various sectors. There remains ample room for economic collaboration, especially in energy, mining, and agriculture. Potential areas for future cooperation include defense and security, science and technology, innovation, culture, sports, and tourism.

Vietnam-Russia relations, built over 75 years, are grounded in strong political trust despite global transformations. While both countries have faced challenges, their partnership has continued to deepen, with political-diplomatic cooperation as the cornerstone, defense and security as a central focus, and economic-trade engagement as a driving force. Vietnam and Russia are preparing for major commemorative events in 2025, including the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Reflecting the close ties, Russia invited Vietnam to send a military contingent to join the Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square. A delegation of 86 Vietnamese People's Army officers arrived in Moscow over a week ago and are currently training alongside international forces for the event.

Vietnam and Belarus share a strong and traditional friendship founded on mutual trust and respect. Both countries maintain active exchanges at all levels, including party, state, parliamentary, ministerial, and local. These interactions help to bolster political confidence and cooperation.

A bilateral visa exemption agreement has been signed, and both sides are encouraging airlines to consider launching direct flights to promote tourism, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchange. The two nations also see substantial potential for collaboration in science and technology, innovation, agriculture, machinery manufacturing, culture, and sports.

Tran Thuong