Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The trips by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Belarus from May 5 to 12 will help uphold and promote comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and these four countries in the new situation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng told the press ahead of the visits.

Accordingly, the Party leader will pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, an official visit to Russia where he will attend a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Great Patriotic War, and then a state visit to Belarus.

Hằng said this visits are of special significance as they follow Việt Nam's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and take place in the context that the country is entering a new era – that of the nation’s rise, development and prosperity.

They aim to continue intensifying the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, as well as the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.

The official described the trips as additional important steps to implement the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive, active, comprehensive, and efficient integration into the world.

The tour of Russia and the other three countries, which used to be part of the Soviet Union, especially the Central Asian and Caucasus countries, and have supported Việt Nam in the past struggles for national safeguarding in the past and the cause of national construction and defence at present, presents an occasion to affirm Việt Nam’s sincere and loyal ties, as well as its desire to promote long-term, effective, substantive and mutually beneficial cooperation.

For Russia, according to the deputy minister, this is the first official visit to Russia since Lâm was elected General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee. It takes place in a very meaningful context when the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, and each also celebrates its own important historical milestones.

The visit aims to strengthen political trust, identify new directions to bring the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia to a new height, as well as consolidate collaboration between the CPV and major political parties in Russia.

In addition, Lâm's official visit and his attendance at the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Great Patriotic War also demonstrates Việt Nam's respect and honour for the enormous contributions and sacrifices by the former Soviet Union and Russia today in the great victory against fascism to firmly protected world peace, said Hằng.

For Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Belarus, she went on, these are the Party chief’s first state visits to these countries, which are hoped to not only consolidate and strengthen political trust, but also express Việt Nam's determination to continuously strengthen its traditional friendship with the countries that are part of the former Soviet Union.

The trips will also help promote cooperation between the CPV and major political parties in the three countries, while enhancing people-to-people exchanges and affirming the Vietnamese people's consistent good sentiments towards the peoples of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.

According to the official, the visits will be the clearest evidence of the Vietnamese Party, Government, and people's sincerity and faithfulness towards the countries, aiming for more sustainable, more effective, more substantive and more mutually beneficial bilateral relations, which are commensurate with the cooperation potential, political trust, along with the aspirations of the peoples of Việt Nam and these nations.

On the coming days, General Secretary Lâm will have important meetings with high-ranking leaders of these countries to shape the relationships in the coming time, thus creating new impetus for cooperation in various fields, especially new and potential ones such as economy, trade, investment, basic science, energy, high technology, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Hằng expressed her belief that the visits will be a great success, leaving memorable impressions in the hearts of friends from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus and the international community while continuing to spread and enhance the image of a Việt Nam loyal and affectionate towards traditional friends, and also fully responsible towards the international community. The trips will create more important driving forces to bring the country into the new era to realise the set development goals, thereby actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region as well as the world.

Regarding the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the deputy minister affirmed that this triumph was a great source of encouragement and motivation and also an important prerequisite for the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Party and President Hồ Chí Minh, to rise up and launch a general uprising to successfully seize power. The 1945 August Revolution broke out in the context of a "ripe opportunity" that the fascist system collapsed, especially Japan's surrender to the Soviet Union and the Allies, and the war in Europe ended. On September 2, 1945, at the historic Ba Đình Square, President Hồ Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, heralding an era of freedom, national independence and socialism in the country. The victory of the Vietnamese people also contributed significantly to the people around the world in the struggle against fascism for peace, democracy and social progress. Moreover, in the fight against fascism, there were Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who directly participated in the battle to defend Moscow in 1941. Many Vietnamese soldiers sacrificed their lives on the heroic Soviet land.

The victory of the Red Army of the Soviet Union and the progressive peace-loving forces around the world created a shining monument of heroism for humanity that will be forever honoured because it is the solid foundation that creates a well-developed and sustainable world today, stated Hằng. — VNS