Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang hosted a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday for Armenian Ambassador to Việt Nam Suren Baghdasaryan. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang hosted a reception in Hà Nội on Wednesday for Armenian Ambassador to Việt Nam Suren Baghdasaryan, believing that the diplomat will enjoy a successful tenure and contribute to further deepening bilateral ties.

Giang, who also serves as Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission, stressed that Việt Nam and Armenia have maintained a strong traditional friendship since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, with relations continuing to thrive.

He thanked Armenia, once part of the Soviet Union, for supporting Việt Nam during its fight for independence and reunification, especially by training thousands of Vietnamese technical experts. To honour the Soviet military experts who helped Việt Nam, the Ministry of National Defence built a monument at the Việt Nam Military History Museum, symbolising the friendship and solidarity between Việt Nam and the Soviet Union. He invited Baghdasaryan to visit the monument whenever convenient.

The host spoke highly of recent Việt Nam–Armenia defence cooperation, especially in the defence industry and humanitarian mine clearance, and proposed embarking on key joint tasks, including the exchange of all-level delegations, defence industry partnerships, and training.

On the occasion, he invited the Armenian Ministry of Defence to send delegations of senior officials and defence industry enterprises to the third Việt Nam International Defence Expo, scheduled for this December.

Hailing Việt Nam’s increasingly important role on the global stage, Baghdasaryan affirmed Armenia’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Việt Nam across various fields, including national defence. He pledged to exert every effort during his tenure to advance bilateral ties in general, and defence cooperation in particular, more effectively and practically. — VNA/VNS