Armenian PM begins official visit to Vietnam

The Armenian leader was accompanied by Minister of High-Technological Industry Hakob Arshakyan, Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan, Deputy Foreign Minister Avet Adonts, Armenian Ambassador to Vietnam Raisa Vardanyan, the PM’s chief foreign policy adviser Arsen Gasparyan and Press Secretary to the PM Vladimir Karapetyan.

The visit aims to enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and discuss collaboration in the areas of both sides’ potential like trade, investment, education, training, culture, tourism, as well as some regional and international issues of shared concern. 

Vietnam and Armenia have maintained good political ties since they established diplomatic ties on July 14, 1992. Armenia opened its embassy in Vietnam in August 2013. 

The two countries have set up an inter-governmental committee for Economic, Commercial, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which convened its first meeting in March 2017. 

Economic-commercial cooperation between the two countries remains modest, standing at 3.6 million USD in 2018. Vietnam signed a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), to which Armenia is a member, in May 2015. The deal took effect on October 5, 2016.

Vietnam and Armenia have signed agreements on cooperation in economy-trade, culture and science-technology, and investment encouragement and protection. The two countries also waive visas for each other’s bearers of diplomatic and official passports.