Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had a meeting on 8 May with the visiting delegation headed by Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm. 

Having said that she was glad to welcome the guest and his delegation at the Milli Majlis, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova also voiced her confidence that this visit would provide for continued strengthening and expansion of the friendly ties between our countries and peoples.

According to the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, the fundamentals of friendship and co-operation laid by the National Leader of our people Heydar Aliyev and the great son of the people of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh last century persevere and thrive now that Azerbaijan has gained her independence.

As Speaker Sahiba Gafarova emphasised, high-status visits and meetings play an exceptional role in the progress of the relations; she stressed that reciprocal visits of our Heads of State determine the dynamics of the relationship.

Then, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis underlined the significance of the Joint Statement on the Establishment of Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the other important documents signed yesterday, saying then that she was certain that the discussions held with President Ilham Aliyev were going to bear fruit before long.

The role of the ruling parties – the New Azerbaijan Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam – contributing dramatically to the progress of the bilateral relations was emphasised, too, as the conversation unfolded.

The Speaker pointed out that Azerbaijan valued highly the constructive co-operation between our countries in international organisations in general and especially in the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement as well as Vietnam’s just stance and support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country.

Touching upon the role of the parliaments in the advancement of the bilateral relations of our countries, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova remarked that we as Parliament of Azerbaijan are keen on development of the inter-parliamentary connexions and that there are fine opportunities to achieve that.

The Speaker stressed the significance of reciprocal visits of the Presidents and Members of Parliament before underscoring also the necessity of ensuring progress in interaction between parliamentary committees.

Going further, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis talked about the importance of the friendship groups active in both legislatures, adding that reciprocal visits and meetings generated important impulses driving our co-operation forwards.

According to Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, there are sound opportunities to deepen further the ties in such international institutions as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

She spoke of her confidence in Vietnamese MPs more active engagement in one of the important formats, namely, the Non-Aligned Movement’s Parliamentary Network.

Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm expressed satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan before conveying the greetings of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Vietnam and also inviting Speaker Sahiba Gafarova to Vietnam on his behalf.

As the conversation went on, the guest shared his impressions from the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev during the current visit; he touched upon the matters considered as well as the bilateral documents signed. As he put it, Vietnam traces intently Azerbaijan’s growing international reputation and the processes in the region alike.

The guest added that the documents signed during the visit serve the interests of our peoples and are taking our relations up to a new level. 

Furthermore, he expressed satisfaction with the fruitful continuation of the mutual ties established by the great leaders – the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and the great son of the Vietnamese people Ho Chi Minh.

General Secretary Tô Lâm proceeded to laud the role of parliaments in the inter-state relations before sharing his thoughts on the need to increase the frequency of mutual visits, exchange information and experience between parliamentary committees, co-operate in the legislation area, bolster the oversight of the implementation of the signed and ratified bilateral documents and enhance collaboration within the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and other international organisations.

Responding to the guest’s remarks, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova asked him to convey her greetings to the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam and invited her counterpart to visit Azerbaijan. The Speaker emphasised that the Milli Majlis is always ready to develop the co-operation further, and expressed her confidence that this collaboration will continue advancing. Sahiba Gafarova also called for parliamentary support for the directions outlined during the guest’s meeting with the President, involving both countries’ parliaments in ensuring this support.

The conversation also had a discussion revolving round other matters of shared concern.

Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm signed the Memorial Book of the Milli Majlis once the meeting was over.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis