The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was held on August 9, 2023, with the speech of Dr. Sheikholeslami, the head of the Institute for Political and International Studies, and Vuong Dinh Hue, the National Assembly Chairman of Vietnam, at the Institute for Political and International Studies.

In this meeting, the head of the Institute for Political and International Studies, while congratulating on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, emphasized the expansion of cooperation in political, security, economic, parliamentary, technological, and cultural fields.

Dr. Sheikholeslami emphasized that the two countries have many potential capacities at the level of bilateral relations. Still, it is necessary to use these capacities optimally to promote bilateral and multilateral relations in all areas.

He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have many similarities in the fields of economy, culture, population, and level of development, which can provide significant opportunities for expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The two countries have great potential for further cooperation in goods and services.

In addition, while congratulating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Iran and Vietnam, the National Assembly Chairman of Vietnam pointed to the cultural commonalities between the two countries and said that the geographical distance between the two countries could not prevent the cooperation between Iran and Vietnam. Iran and Vietnam are 5,500 kilometers away from each other, and we have named this path the path of peace. We will expand relations with Iran to create peace in the region and the world.

The National Assembly Chairman stated that in the last century, we have witnessed extensive developments in the world, such as the change of powers, the spread of pandemic diseases and social inequalities, and said: On the other hand, international resources are not enough to deal with such phenomena, and in this regard, cooperation between nations should be promoted.

He pointed out that the political and economic reforms in Vietnam started in 1968 when we faced war and sanctions and became an isolated country; he added: After this period, we achieved great achievements from 1986 to 2001, and the GDP of our country has reached 410 billion dollars and is ranked 48th in the world. Also, Vietnam's economic growth has reached 6% to 8% in the past years.

Stating that these figures show that we have trade relations with more than 220 countries, the National Assembly Chairman said the poverty rate in Vietnam has also decreased to 2.3%, and this is despite the spread of the Coronavirus in Vietnam. Also, Corona's inflation rate has been constant at around 30% for the past few years.

He stated that the National Assembly places a high value on people-to-people relations between different countries and clarified: Today, Vietnam is a socialist republic, and political, cultural, and economic reforms are continuing in this country, and in this state, we are looking for the development of human power, science and technology, and the use of foreign relations.

Vuong Dinh Hue emphasized that respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in countries' domestic affairs is one of the most important internationally recognized principles that international system actors should put at the forefront of their foreign policy. Iran and Vietnam are committed to internationally recognized principles and will use all their capacities to implement the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The National Assembly Chairman continued: food security, energy, and agricultural fields are among the things the two countries can cooperate. Iran and Vietnam have about 100 million people and dynamic and active economies that can interact in the direction of labor exchange and elite education in the two countries.

He considered the support of the positions of the two countries in international forums to be one of the common things between Iran and Vietnam and said: In the field of tourism, Iran has 27 heritage sites, and Vietnam has eight heritage sites registered in UNESCO, which this capacity can be used for the development of tourism.

The National Assembly Chairman requested the development of bilateral relations between the two countries and joint cooperation and said if the cooperation continues and develops, we can imagine a good future for the two countries.

At the end of this ceremony, the Iranian and Vietnamese parties signed six memorandums of understanding on joint cooperation in legal, sports, plant protection, trade development, standards, and animal health.