Vietnam - Azerbaijan prioritize oil and gas cooperation

3TT – President Truong Tan Sang and President of Azerbaijan IIham Aliev both emphasized the priority of promoting oil and gas cooperation between the two countries in press meeting after the talks.

"I believe that economic relations between the two countries will be enhanced in potential fields, especially oil and gas. Mr. Truong Tan Sang and I have heard reports about cooperation in the oil and gas field and affirmed that the prospects for cooperation are very good" - President IIham Aliev told the press yesterday.

He said that Azerbaijan is ready to invite Vietnamese businesses to explore the market and invest in lands with oil and gas potential. At the same time, favorable conditions will be created, including a legal basis, to promote Vietnamese investment in Azerbaijan, moving forward for the two sides to expand oil and gas exploitation cooperation in third countries.

At the talks, President Truong Tan Sang and President IIham Aliev focused on discussing and agreeing on measures to promote all aspects of relations, especially in the fields of economics - trade and investment.

Thereby agreeing to promote trade promotion activities to expand Vietnam's goods market share in Azerbaijan and vice versa, striving to bring two-way trade turnover, which is currently just over 400 million USD in 2014, to 1 billion USD in the coming years.

The two leaders assigned relevant ministries and branches of the two countries to soon discuss and agree on specific measures to restore and strengthen cooperation in the fields of education - training and tourism, including opening direct flights between the two countries.

The two sides also expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation in other fields such as labor, construction, health, transportation...

Announcing recent developments on the East Sea issue, President Truong Tan Sang affirmed the views of ASEAN countries and Vietnam in resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), contributing to ensuring peace. peace, security, and maritime safety in the region.

President IIham Aliev supports Vietnam's stance on resolving disputes by peaceful means, without using force or threatening to use force, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter.

After the talks, leaders of the two countries witnessed the signing ceremony of five cooperation documents. These are the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation and administrative support in the field of customs, the intergovernmental agreement on air transport, the memorandum of understanding between the two countries' ministries of agriculture in the field of agriculture and rural development, the memorandum of understanding between the two countries' ministries of transport on cooperation in the field of transportation, and the memorandum of understanding between Vietnam Oil and Gas Group and Azerbaijan Oil and Gas Group on cooperation in the oil and gas field.

Also yesterday, President Truong Tan Sang met in turn with the Chairman of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. Last night, President Truong Tan Sang and President IIham Aliev attended and spoke at the Vietnam - Azerbaijan Business Forum.

Today (May 15), President Truong Tan Sang and his wife, along with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, left Baku to return home, ending a three-day official visit to Azerbaijan.

The President concluded his visit to Azerbaijan

The special plane carrying the delegation of President Truong Tan Sang and his wife landed at Tan Son Nhat airport last night, ending a three-day official visit to Azerbaijan.

On the last day in the capital Baku, the President met with the Vietnamese community and students living and studying in Azerbaijan; Visit oil and gas facilities and the museum of late President Heyda Aliev.

The representative of the Vietnamese community in Azerbaijan said that the community consists of only three families and one single person (including 7 people) and 34 students studying in their country. At the meeting, the community gave 1,250 USD as the amount of money mobilized to contribute to building and protecting the homeland's islands and seas.

“Even though our community is not large, people are always united and help each other overcome difficulties to stabilize their lives and integrate into the local society,” said President Truong Tan Sang.

The Chairman affirmed that our Party and State always pay deep attention to the Vietnamese community abroad, considering them an inseparable part of the Vietnamese people and a resource for the country's development.

The President requested that our Embassy in Russia, which also serves as Azerbaijan, pay special attention and help so that people can feel secure in doing business and do business stably and long-term.

Thank you for your kindness in contributing to the Homeland Sea and Island Construction Fund. The President hopes that you will always look towards the country, preserve national identity and Vietnamese language, promote the role of a bridge to strengthen friendly relations between the two peoples, and contribute to spreading the country, culture and people of Vietnam in your country.