BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. Despite being geographically distant, Azerbaijan and Vietnam are building a resilient and mutually beneficial partnership, guided by pragmatism and shared interests in key sectors.
Today, Azerbaijan will welcome a high-ranking guest - To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam - on a state visit. This will be the first visit at such a senior level in recent years and marks a significant step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation between Baku and Hanoi. It is expected to serve not only as a symbol of political dialogue but also as a concrete move toward expanding their strategic partnership.
In recent years, ties between the two countries have notably intensified. Trade volumes are rising, collaboration in the oil and gas sector is expanding, and new platforms are emerging to support cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, cultural exchanges are growing, and new opportunities are opening up in transport and logistics, particularly as Azerbaijan’s role as a transit hub gains prominence.
Amid shifts in the global economic landscape and the push by many countries to diversify their external partnerships, Vietnam’s interest in deeper engagement with Azerbaijan is both timely and logical. The upcoming talks in Baku could mark the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations—more structured, strategic, and oriented toward long-term outcomes.
The economic relationship between Azerbaijan and Vietnam continues to show steady growth. In the first quarter of 2025, bilateral trade totaled $127.2 million, with Azerbaijan’s exports—mainly crude oil—reaching $91.8 million. Imports from Vietnam amounted to $35.4 million. For comparison, the total trade volume for all of 2024 stood at $223.9 million, reflecting a positive trajectory in economic ties.
A significant milestone came in 2024 with the signing of cooperation agreements between Azerbaijan’s Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) and the Vietnam International Business Relations Club. The initiative aims to strengthen direct links between entrepreneurs in both countries and lay the groundwork for joint ventures.
Energy remains a cornerstone of Azerbaijani-Vietnamese cooperation. Vietnam has long been a stable buyer of Azerbaijani crude. In 2024 alone, Azerbaijan exported 138,500 tons of crude oil and petroleum products to Vietnam, valued at $77.9 million, placing Vietnam 21st among Azerbaijan’s oil buyers by volume.
For more than a decade, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has worked with major Vietnamese energy firms - PetroVietnam and Vietsovpetro - on upstream development, oil supply, and refining. Key milestones include the 2015 strategic partnership agreement and the 2018 decision to create joint ventures.
SOCAR Trading has played an especially important role. In 2020, it signed contracts with Binh Son Refining (BSR) for the delivery of five million barrels of Azeri Light crude to the Dung Quat refinery. This became possible after Vietnam eliminated import duties on crude oil, opening new export channels for Azerbaijani producers.
Vietnam is also showing growing interest in Azerbaijan’s transit potential - particularly in the context of the Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Azerbaijan has made major investments in multimodal infrastructure, including upgrades to sea ports, rail lines, and logistics hubs. With its modern Baku International Sea Trade Port and a robust rail network, the country has become a key logistics gateway across Eurasia.
For Vietnamese exporters, this opens new overland routes to Europe, bypassing longer traditional shipping lanes through the South China Sea and the Suez Canal.
Beyond economics and energy, humanitarian and cultural ties are also expanding. Vietnam hosts a Center for Azerbaijani History and Culture and a Vietnam-Azerbaijan Friendship Society, both of which foster greater people-to-people connections.
Since 2018, Azerbaijani citizens have been eligible for 30-day e-visas to Vietnam. In 2019, the Azerbaijan Tourism Agencies Association signed a memorandum of understanding with authorities in Quang Nam Province to boost tourism exchanges and promote joint projects in hospitality. Both countries are also exploring greater collaboration in education, with initiatives to encourage student and academic exchanges.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Vietnam are steadily evolving across multiple domains - from energy and trade to transportation and culture. To Lam’s upcoming visit to Baku is set to become a defining moment in this bilateral dialogue, underscoring the mutual interest in deepening cooperation.
On one side is Vietnam, with its fast-growing industrial base; on the other, Azerbaijan, with its strategic location and strong logistics and energy infrastructure. These complementary strengths provide a solid foundation for a new stage in their partnership - one that reflects the long-term interests of both nations.