TEHRAN- Cultural interactions between Vietnam and Iran over the last 50 years have paved the way for the two countries to continue promoting their ties, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said on Friday.

Ngoc made the remarks at a ceremony in Hanoi to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Iran.

Ngoc stated that the affinity between the Vietnamese and the Iranians dates back to more than a thousand years, when Persian traders arrived in Vietnam to conduct commerce and business, paving the way for cross-cultural interactions.

Since the two sides established diplomatic ties on August 4, 1973, bilateral relationships have expanded. On February 13, 1979, immediately following the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, Vietnam congratulated and recognized the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran established its embassy in Hanoi in 1991. Vietnam did the same in Tehran six years later.

According to Ngoc, the two nations have many things in common and additional benefits that allow them to deepen their friendship for the benefit of the two peoples as well as for peace and stability in the two nations and the rest of the globe.

He emphasized the strong political-diplomatic links between the two nations, the growth of their bilateral economic and commercial relations, and their successful collaboration in the fields of culture, education, science, and technology.

At the most difficult time during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government and people of Vietnam were happy to be able to share their resources with other countries, including Iran, he noted, emphasizing that the warm sentiments that the two peoples have toward each other as well as practical joint activities have contributed to the laying of a firm foundation for the growth of friendship between the two countries.

Ngoc emphasized the requirement for the two governments, ministries, and sectors to take concrete steps to deepen bilateral ties, including the organization of the 10th meeting of the inter-governmental committee and the seventh political consultations between them to realize the political will of the two leaders.

For his part, Iran’s Ambassador to Hanoi, Vietnam Ali Akbar Nazari, stated that the ceremony is an excellent opportunity for the two countries to reflect on their 50-year friendship and collaboration.

This is also an occasion for the two sides to recognize accomplishments that have molded bilateral ties and look forward to a future of deeper collaboration for common prosperity, he said.

the Vietnam-Iran parliamentary friendship group, founded in 2009, has made contributions to promoting friendship and cooperation between the two nations. 

Nguyen Van Pha, a former vice chairman of the National Assembly’s judicial committee and the group’s president, highlighted these contributions as well as the group’s future plans to continue strengthening the friendship and partnership.

Back in July, the acting head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (PMO) met with Vietnam’s Ambassador to Tehran to explore ways of expanding trade ties between the two countries.

In the meeting, Mehdi Zeyghami and Ambassador Luong Quoc Huy discussed various issues and exchanged views on various issues. 

The preparations for a preferential trade agreement and a mechanism for barter trade were also among the subjects discussed by Zeyghami and Quoc Huy.

In this regard, the Vietnamese ambassador referred to Iran’s experiences in barter trade and asked for the transfer of its experiences to Vietnam.

Zeyghami pointed out that five years have passed since the last joint economic committee meeting of Iran and Vietnam and called for the holding of this meeting as soon as possible. The proposal was welcomed by the Vietnamese side.