The agreement was reached during a meeting in Yerevan on April 4 between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and visiting Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Pashinyan welcomed Man’s visit which he said not only marks a new chapter in parliamentary cooperation but also provides momentum for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation into various fields.

He recalled the warm feelings from his meeting with former Vietnamese students who had studied in Armenia during his official visit to Vietnam in 2019 and said “Vietnam is always in our hearts”. He also affirmed that for Armenia, Vietnam is an important partner in Southeast Asia.

Man, for his part, emphasized that Vietnam values its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Armenia. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for Armenia’s efforts to enhance cooperation with ASEAN and expressed readiness to act as a bridge to promote Armenia’s cooperation with ASEAN.

Both host and guest held extensive discussions on major directions and specific measures to boost cooperation between the two countries in the future.

They acknowledged the importance of economic-trade cooperation as a key pillar in Vietnam – Armenia relations, and said there is significant potential for further cooperation. They highlighted the need to promote such cooperation by facilitating opportunities for businesses from both countries to explore each other’s markets, particularly for Vietnamese agricultural, seafood, and marine products in Armenia, and for Armenian exports such as wine, processed foods, and metals.

The two leaders emphasized the importance of effectively implementing the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to bring about a breakthrough in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

They also consented to create favourable conditions for businesses from both countries to explore investment opportunities, establish partnerships, and enter each other’s markets.

Man urged Armenia to engage with other EAEU member countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia) to work with Vietnam to leverage incentives from the Free Trade Agreement, remove technical barriers, and facilitate smoother access to each other’s markets.

Emphasizing the importance of sectors such as transportation, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as local connections, the two leaders agreed on the need to enhance transportation and multimodal transport connectivity to ramp up tourism and import-export activities between the two countries and within the Asia-Europe region.

They also agreed to continue discussions on scholarships for student exchanges, strengthen cooperation in high-tech workforce training, and regularly organize cultural exchange activities. They recommended that the relevant authorities from both sides review visa policies to facilitate travel for citizens and businesses of both countries, allowing them to explore each other’s cultures, visit destinations, and implement cooperative plans and projects.

Regarding multilateral and regional cooperation, the two leaders expressed desires to continue close coordination in international and regional forums.

Man suggested that Armenia support ASEAN and Vietnam’s stance on the East Sea issue, advocating for the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law, the United Nations Charter, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Pashinyan respectfully invited Vietnam to send a senior representative to the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in 2026. He also respectfully asked Man to convey an invitation to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to pay an official visit to Armenia.

Man, in turn, conveyed Chinh’s invitation for Pashinyan to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time.

Top legislator encourages Vietnam-Armenia education cooperation

VOV.VN - National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, who is in Armenia for a working visit, urged universities of Vietnam and Armenia to increase cooperation programmes, including academic exchanges and joint research projects, for prosperity of the two countries, during his speech at Yerevan State University on April 4.