1. At the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan paid an official visit to Vietnam from August 20 to 22, 2023.
2. During the visit, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held meetings with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, engaged in talks with President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vyong Dinh Hue. He also visited several economic and cultural sites in Bac Ninh and Hai Duong provinces.
3. During the visit, the two sides engaged in an extensive exchange of views on measures to foster cooperation in political, trade and economic, investment, transportation and logistics, cultural and tourism sectors, as well as on relevant matters concerning the international and regional agenda of mutual interest.
4. During their discussions, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President Vo Van Thuong reiterated the traditional friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Vietnam. They expressed satisfaction with the recent progress in bilateral relations, particularly underscoring the establishment of a trusting political dialogue. The leaders emphasized the ongoing expansion of cooperation across all areas of mutual interest between Kazakhstan and Vietnam, including new areas with high potential for closer cooperation. Both Presidents reaffirmed their intent to enhance the exchange of delegations at all levels, including between the parties, governments, and parliaments of both countries, as well as cultural ties between the two peoples. The leaders also pledged to leverage existing cooperation mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Commission, political consultations, and other formats to enhance mutual understanding and trust, and expand multifaceted bilateral interaction.
5. The Presidents highlighted the importance of developing trade and economic cooperation, confirming their intention to create favorable conditions for mutual market access for businesses from both nations. They considered the implementation of effective mechanisms to ensure mutually beneficial trade, including measures to increase container traffic between Kazakhstan and Vietnam and vice versa. The parties also discussed potential areas of cooperation, such as tourism, information technology, agriculture, transportation, and logistics.
6. The leaders commended the positive outcomes resulting from the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, which has contributed to increased trade between Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Both sides expressed their readiness to capitalize on the benefits of this Agreement to further bolster bilateral trade.
7. The Presidents expressed satisfaction with the direct flight established between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in October 2022, which has created favorable conditions for promoting trade, economic, investment, tourism, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
8. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed interest in deepening collaboration in the field of education on the basis of the Protocol of January 3, 2017, which supplemented the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on cooperation in the field of education dated September 15, 2009.
9. The Presidents reaffirmed the importance of intensifying cultural and humanitarian ties, including enhancing cooperation and exchanges in the fields of science, sports, and healthcare to foster closer ties between the two nations, deepen mutual understanding, jointly enrich cultures, and develop bilateral relations.
10. President Tokayev highly appreciated the close coordination and mutual support of the two countries within the framework of international organizations and forums. Both sides expressed a mutual desire to further promote cooperation within multilateral forums, particularly the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to enhance cooperation among member states for regional peace, development, and prosperity. The Vietnamese side expressed its willingness to act as a bridge and support Kazakhstan in strengthening cooperation with ASEAN and Southeast Asian countries. Both sides exchanged viewpoints on international and regional matters, with the Vietnamese side providing an overview of the current situation in the South China Sea region. They acknowledged the significance of upholding peace, security, and stability, along with advocating for the peaceful resolution of all disputes based on international law and the UN Charter.
11. As part of the visit, the following documents were signed: (1) Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the transfer of convicted persons; (2) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on mutual abolition of visa requirements for holders of national passports; (3) Joint Action Plan between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on accelerated development of trade and economic cooperation in 2023-2025; (4) Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of tourism between the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; (5) Memorandum of Cooperation between the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Investment Agency of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; (6) Memorandum of Cooperation between JSC Trade Policy Center "QazTrade" and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency "VietTrade"; (7) Memorandum of Understanding between JSC Khabar Agency.
12. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, expressed his sincere gratitude to President Vo Van Thuong of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the people of Vietnam for their warm hospitality. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev extended an invitation to President Vo Van Thuong to visit Kazakhstan at a time convenient for him. President Vo Van Thuong gratefully accepted the invitation. The dates of the visit will be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.