Parliamentary diplomacy has made great contributions to consolidating ties between Vietnam and Azerbaijan, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Vietnam Shovgi Kamal Oglu Mehdizadet said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency.
The diplomat noted that in recent years, cooperation between the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Vietnam has developed in a positive and constructive manner, reflecting the strong friendship and mutual respect between the two countries.
He stressed that Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to the parliamentary dimension in relations between nations. The meeting between Party General Secretary To Lam of Vietnam and Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan (Milli Majlis) Sahiba Gafarova during the former’s historic visit to Azerbaijan in May last year marked an important milestone in strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries, he said.
During the meeting, the Speaker of Azerbaijan’s National Assembly expressed readiness to pay her first official visit to Vietnam and extended an invitation to her Vietnamese counterpart to visit Baku.
Parliamentary friendship groups in the legislatures of both countries are expected to play an important role, providing flexibility for active coordination in this process, Mehdizadet added.
The ambassador expressed his expectation that Vietnam’s new National Assembly will continue to take an active part in enhancing this cooperation. Parliamentary exchanges, dialogues between parliamentary friendship groups and mutual visits will contribute significantly to deepening political trust and creating favourable conditions for expanding cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, energy, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
The two countries' parliaments could further support the implementation of the agreements reached at the government level while facilitating the development of new initiatives benefiting the peoples of both nations, he suggested.
The growing partnership between Azerbaijan and Vietnam, particularly following the establishment of a Strategic Partnership during the state visit by General Secretary To Lam to Azerbaijan in 2025, has provided a solid cornerstone for advancing bilateral relations across multiple fields, said the ambassador.
He expressed confidence that Vietnam’s new National Assembly will continue to make valuable contributions to the comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, including through enhanced parliamentary diplomacy.
Regarding the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure, Mehdizade described it as an important political event and a milestone of great significance in Vietnam’s governance and development process.
In his view, the election not only reflects the will of the people and democratic values, but also presents an opportunity to further strengthen institutional foundations for Vietnam’s continued socio-economic progress.
He noted that over the past decades, Vietnam has achieved remarkable development accomplishments and has emerged as one of the most dynamic economies in the region.
The new National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels will therefore play a pivotal role in shaping policies, perfecting the legal framework and overseeing the implementation of development strategies aimed at sustaining economic growth, improving social welfare, and promoting innovation and digital transformation.
According to the ambassador, the election will help ensure that capable and dedicated representatives are entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the country through its next stage of development. Their role will be essential in implementing the socio-economic objectives set out in Vietnam’s national development strategies, boosting governance capacity and effectively addressing both domestic priorities and global challenges.
He expressed his belief that this important electoral process will contribute significantly to Vietnam’s stability, solidarity and prosperity, enabling the country to maintain its impressive development trajectory./.
