Iran’s energy can stoke Vietnam’s economic growth
Iran’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Ali-Akbar Nazari, first expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the specialized meeting focusing on the Iran-Vietnam relationship. In a video message to the event, he hailed the occasion as a “valuable opportunity” to delve into the extensive history shared by the two nations over the past five decades.
According to Nazari, historical records indicate that the earliest interactions between Iranians and Vietnamese can be traced back to the ancient Parthian Empire in Iran. However, it was in the 15th century that Iranian merchants began venturing into South Asia, engaging in trade with various nations in the region including Thailand and Vietnam. The ambassador also mentioned Alexandre de Rhodes, a figure renowned for designing Vietnam’s modern alphabet, who passed away in Isfahan while on a trip to Iran. Nazari pointed to the annual visits made by Vietnamese people to De Rhodes’ tomb in Isfahan, underscoring the cultural ties between the two nations.
Moreover, the ambassador said that throughout history, the relations between Iran and Vietnam have been consistently characterized by friendship, development of cooperation, and mutual interests.
“In the present era, these ties have been further reinforced in alignment with the principles of multilateralism and opposition to unilateralism,” he added. Nazari attributed the strength of the bilateral relationship to their shared values such as “the pursuit of freedom, independence, and support for multilateralism”.
Furthermore, the ambassador pointed out Vietnam’s impressive economic growth of 7% over the past decade, highlighting the country’s increasing need for energy to sustain this development.
“Iran as one of the world’s largest energy suppliers has the potential for economic collaboration with Vietnam,” he said. Nazari expressed hope that in the next 50 years, Iran and Vietnam would foster even deeper and more robust relations through enhanced synergy between the two countries.