Azerbaijan can be window for Vietnam to South Caucasus: minister
By Aynur Jafarova
Vietnamese capital Hanoi hosted the Azerbaijan-Vietnam business forum on May 19.
The business forum was organized as part of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to the country.
Addressing the forum, Vietnamese Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Cam Tu informed the participants about the economic situation in his country in the past few years. He said the GDP increased by 5.3 times over recent years, and the inflation rate was stable.
Praising the trade between Azerbaijan and Vietnam, he said it amounted to $400 million and mentioned the necessity of boosting the bilateral trade between the two countries.
Cam Tu also expressed confidence that the two countries would successfully cooperate in agriculture, food and oil and gas industry.
Azerbaijani Economy and Industry Minister Shahin Mustafayev, in turn, said Azerbaijan can be a window for Vietnam to the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijani-Vietnam cooperation is fast developing. Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Vietnam last December, while the Azerbaijan-Vietnam inter-parliamentary friendship group was established in Hanoi in November 2013. The group includes six members of Vietnam's National Assembly.
In October 2013, Vietnam simplified the visa regime for Azerbaijani citizens, making it possible for Azerbaijani citizens to obtain a visa upon arrival at Vietnam's airports. According to the new rules, Azerbaijani citizens only need to provide the relevant documents given by the Vietnamese travel agencies regarding their trip in order to get a visa.