The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Azerbaijan’s Aslan Aslanov (AzerTAc) signed a cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the International Humanitarian Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 3.

Under the agreement, the two sides will provide each other news and photos, enhance exchange of delegations and coordinate at regional and international forums that both sides attend.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and AzerTAc General Director Aslan Aslanov expressed their hope that the implementation of the first cooperation agreement in journalism between the two countries would accelerate and enhance the exchange of information with a view to boosting mutual understanding and creating cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Azerbaijan.

Vietnam and Azerbaijan enjoy a long-standing relationship of friendship and tradition. President Ho Chi Minh visited Azerbaijan in 1959 and Azerbaijan’s leader Heyar Aliyev visited Vietnam in 1983.

Vietnam and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations on September 23, 1992. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Vietnam in 2013 and President Ilham Aliyev visited Vietnam in May 2014.

Two-way trade between the two countries reached 325 million USD in 2013.-VNA