President Lương Cường with President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan in Hà Nội yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — State President Lương Cường emphasised that Việt Nam values its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Armenia, underscoring the need to advance bilateral ties in a more substantive and effective manner.

He made his remarks while receiving President of the Armenian National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, on Wednesday in Hà Nội. The meeting took place during the Armenian President's official visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

President Simonyan affirmed Armenia's recognition of Việt Nam as a key partner in the region. He stated that the visit provides an opportunity to continue discussions with Vietnamese counterparts on expanding cooperation across various sectors.

He also highlighted the longstanding mutual support between Việt Nam and Armenia on international platforms, expressing hope for the establishment of new cooperation mechanisms, particularly in trade, commerce and investment, leveraging their memberships in international trade organisations.

President Cường noted the significant contributions of thousands of Vietnamese students who have studied at Armenian universities and colleges. Many of these individuals have become high-ranking leaders and leading experts in Việt Nam across various fields, forming a valuable connection to further bolster bilateral cooperation.

He praised the outcomes of the talks between National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and the Armenia President and encouraged both legislative bodies to continue working together to create a robust legal framework that facilitates efforts to strengthen cooperation, benefiting both nations while contributing to regional and global peace, stability and development.

President Cường acknowledged recent positive developments in economic, trade and investment ties, noting that two-way trade exceeded US$400 million in the first months of 2024. However, he remarked that this figure remains modest compared to the potential of both nations.

To unlock this potential, the Vietnamese leader proposed enhancing exchanges and delegation visits at various levels and through different channels to build political trust.

He also suggested intensifying economic, trade and investment cooperation, promoting cultural exchange and people-to-people ties, advancing tourism, connecting localities and resuming educational and training collaboration.

Additionally, President Cường called for expanding into new areas of cooperation where both sides can complement and support each other, while continuing to coordinate and support one another at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially within the United Nations and the Francophonie.

President Cường extended an invitation for Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan to visit Việt Nam whenever was convenient. — VNS