After the ceremony, the two ministers held talks.
During the talks, General Phan Van Giang sincerely thanked Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the high-ranking Azerbaijani delegation for attending the celebrations and paying an official visit to Vietnam.
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General Phan Van Giang and Colonel General Zakir Hasan |
The Vietnamese defense minister emphasized that Vietnam attaches great importance to consolidating and strengthening its traditional friendship with the Republic of Azerbaijan, a relationship cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh, President Heydar Aliyev, and generations of leaders and people of both countries. Notably, during the state visit of Party General Secretary To Lam to Azerbaijan in May 2025, the two countries officially established a strategic partnership, laying an important foundation for deeper and broader defense cooperation between Vietnam and Azerbaijan.
The General noted that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense (MND) has built a memorial complex honoring Soviet military experts, including Azerbaijani specialists, at the Vietnam Military History Museum. This reflects the sentiments of the Party, State, military, and people of Vietnam toward Azerbaijan’s valuable assistance during Vietnam’s resistance war, and contributes to fostering the traditional friendship between the two countries and their militaries.
He reaffirmed that Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as diversification and multilateralization of external relations and steadfastly upholds the “Four No’s” defense policy.
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The two defense leaders review the guards-of-honor. |
Vietnam’s consistent stance is to resolve all disputes and differences through peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982; international and regional commitments such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (aka South China Sea); and to support the early signing of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea in accordance with international law.
In recent years, the two sides have paid increasing attention to promoting defense cooperation in line with their state-level relationship, with notable progress in such areas as delegation exchanges, defense industry, humanitarian mine clearance, and support for and participation in multilateral activities hosted by each side. During General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to Azerbaijan in May 2025, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation, making important contribution to enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of bilateral defense ties.
Regarding future directions, based on the signed MoU, General Giang proposed that the two sides study and coordinate in strengthening delegation exchanges; promoting training cooperation; facilitating defense enterprises of both countries to engage and cooperate in defense industry, military trade, and logistics-technical fields; supporting multilateral activities hosted by either side; and expanding cooperation in fields of mutual demand and potential.
He also suggested that the two countries consider opening Defense Attaché offices in each country to further advance bilateral defense cooperation. Vietnam is ready to welcome Azerbaijani military cadets to study Vietnamese at the Military Science Academy and to attend international defense official courses at the National Defense Academy.
For his part, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov expressed his sincere gratitude to the Vietnamese MND for the invitation to attend the celebrations and pay an official visit to Vietnam. He expressed delight at the flourishing relations between the two countries, especially since General Secretary To Lam’s visit, during which bilateral relations were elevated to a strategic partnership.
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The two ministers sign a Letter of Intent on military personnel training cooperation. |
The Azerbaijani Minister of Defense stressed that there remains vast potential for cooperation between the two countries and expressed his hope that both sides will actively promote defense cooperation, thereby making substantive and effective contribution to the bilateral relations.
At the end of the talks, the two ministers signed a Letter of Intent between the two Defense Ministries on military personnel training cooperation.
Translated by Tran Hoai