Party General Secretary Tô Lâm held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to Russia last week. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The outcomes of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm’s recent working trips to four countries have formed a solid foundation, provided strong momentum and offered a clear direction for Việt Nam and the partner countries to jointly realise the goals set in line with their newly elevated relationships.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn talked to the press on Tuesday in an interview about the trips’ outcomes.

He said at the invitation of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, accompanied by his wife and a high-ranking delegation, undertook a highly successful mission to the aforementioned countries from May 5 to 12.

This visit not only opened a new chapter in cooperation with long-standing friends from the former Soviet Union but also reinforced, renewed and redefined relationships based on the enduring friendship cultivated by generations of leaders and citizens of Việt Nam and these countries, Sơn said.

It also served as a special opportunity to convey the consistent and loyal sentiments of the Vietnamese Party, State and people toward nations that once wholeheartedly supported Việt Nam’s struggle for independence and current national development, he said.

The leaders and people of the host countries extended warm and respectful receptions to Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and the Vietnamese delegation, with many exceptional honours. Over 80 elevated and varied activities were conducted during the eight-day trip across four countries.

Party chief Tô Lâm held talks and meetings with top leaders, engaged with political parties, businesses and communities, visited economic and cultural sites, and met with Vietnamese expatriates.

He also attended the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Russia and a similar event in Kazakhstan—showing Việt Nam’s respect and admiration for the immense sacrifices made by the former Soviet Union in the fight against fascism, contributing to the end of World War II and inspiring revolutionary and liberation movements globally, including in Việt Nam.

Leaders from ministries, sectors and localities within the delegation also held productive meetings with counterparts.

“We take pride in the fact that leaders across all four countries praised Việt Nam’s strong, comprehensive development under the leadership of the Communist Party and General Secretary Tô Lâm, recognising the nation's bold reforms and breakthroughs as it enters a new era of advancement,” Deputy PM Sơn said.

He emphasised that the mission helped implement Việt Nam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as outlined at the 13th National Party Congress.

Relations were upgraded to strategic partnerships with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Belarus—bringing Việt Nam’s total number of strategic partners to 37—while deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

These upgrades boosted political trust and opened new avenues for cooperation matching the evolving relationship dynamics.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and the top leaders of the respective countries affirmed their appreciation for and prioritisation of the traditional friendship—a relationship that has been "tempered" through the trials of time and history, yet has always stood side by side in the struggle for independence in the past and in national development today, especially amidst an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.

This spirit served as a 'red thread' running throughout the meetings between General Secretary Tô Lâm and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, and President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, he said.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and the leaders agreed to strengthen political trust through regular exchanges of delegations and contacts at all levels, especially at the high level and across all channels.

In terms of economy, trade and investment, the Intergovernmental Committee mechanism was reaffirmed by leaders as a vital platform and encouraged to be further enhanced in its effectiveness. This would help to concretise existing commitments and agreements, with the goal of raising bilateral trade to match the strong political ties.

The business environment will also be significantly improved to facilitate long-term investment and operations by enterprises in each other’s markets.

In the energy and mining sectors, the leaders agreed to promote cooperation in oil and gas exploration and service provision, as well as to jointly research and devise suitable solutions to strengthen cooperation in clean and renewable energy.

Numerous concrete measures were also proposed to promote substantive cooperation in areas such as security and defence, science and technology, digital transformation, education and training, high-tech agriculture, transport, logistics, culture and sports, tourism, labour, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and the leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, security, and stability in each region, as well as resolving disputes through peaceful means based on the United Nations Charter and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

One of key highlights is Việt Nam and Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation and Belarus signed approximately 60 cooperation agreements between ministries, sectors and enterprises.

These agreements covered areas such as diplomacy, security and defence, science and technology, energy, education and training, aviation, among others, thereby establishing an important legal framework to help elevate the relations between Việt Nam and these countries to become more comprehensive, substantive and effective.

To concretise the outcomes of the trip’s results, Sơn said Vietnamese agencies at all levels would actively and closely coordinate with their counterparts, adhering to the spirit of the joint statements, cooperation agreements and shared understandings reached by the high-level leaders, with a focus on the following key aspects:

Regular delegation exchanges and high-level contacts across all channels will be maintained. This includes promoting cooperation between political parties and enhancing effective, active coordination among the governments and parliaments of each country.

At the same time, the role of Intergovernmental Committees between Việt Nam and its partners will be strengthened. These efforts will help Việt Nam and its partner nations sustain the momentum of bilateral relations, continue to reinforce and enhance political trust, and deepen the long-standing traditional friendship.

Mechanisms for cooperation will be implemented effectively to elevate substantive cooperation across all fields.

Following the visit, working-level delegations between Việt Nam and its partners will actively engage and coordinate to concretise the signed cooperation documents.

In the spirit of the Joint Declarations and shared understandings between senior leaders, Việt Nam and the partner countries will jointly agree on specific solutions to enhance cooperation efficiency. This includes improving the performance of bilateral cooperation mechanisms and jointly proposing measures to resolve any existing obstacles.

In terms of economy, trade, and investment, Việt Nam will coordinate well with its partners both bilaterally—through the Intergovernmental Committee mechanism—and multilaterally, such as within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The goal is to improve the business environment, creating favourable conditions for enterprises from both sides to invest and conduct long-term business in each other’s markets, according to Sơn.

Việt Nam will also work with its partners to study and explore opportunities to expand and diversify import-export goods, while developing multimodal transport connections to boost trade promotion in a manner that reflects the potential and strengths of both sides.

With a foundation of traditional friendship and high mutual trust, Việt Nam will proactively engage with its partner countries on regional and international issues of shared concern, thereby contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and globally.

Việt Nam is ready to serve as a bridge for countries to enhance cooperation with ASEAN and Southeast Asia, and likewise hopes that its partners will act as bridges to help Việt Nam expand and strengthen connections with other regions around the world. VNS