Potential for Promoting Bilateral Cooperation Between Vietnam and Turkey

Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey Do Son Hai in Hatay. Photo: VNA

In 2023, Vietnam and Turkey celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (June 7, 1978 - June 7, 2023).

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey Do Son Hai mentioned the significance of the event, as well as the achievements of the two sides and the prospects for cooperation in the coming time.

Ambassador Do Son Hai assessed that the bilateral relationship achieved unexpected achievements after 45 years. However, there is still a lot of potential to develop the relations to new heights.

Currently, the two countries have similar interests, not only in the field of economy and trade but also in security and defense.

The year 2017 marked a historic milestone in trade exchange, when two-way trade turnover reached US$3.2 billion, making Vietnam the second largest partner of Turkey among the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), after Malaysia.

According to the Ambassador, the Covid-19 pandemic has partly affected trade between Vietnam and Turkey, when in 2022, two-way trade turnover only reached US$1.65 billion. However, this is still a strength in the bilateral relationship of the two countries.

Mutual support in multilateral forums and organizations can also be considered a strength to promote in order to strengthen bilateral relations.

Ambassador Do Son Hai emphasized that the two countries achieved these results in the context of having to overcome many difficulties and challenges.

First of all, there are differences in culture, religion, politics, geographical distance and the similarity of comparative advantage in trade.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Turkey Do Son Hai. Photo: VOV

In the context of the Cold War, these factors made the relationship between the two countries only stop at "getting to know each other".

Although both are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Vietnam and Turkey have different priority interests.

Only after the end of the Cold War, the adjustments in policies of both countries promoted bilateral relations to have strong development in many fields, from politics-diplomacy to economy-trade, from tourism to education.

After the two countries raised their relations and opened their embassies in each other's capitals in 2005, joint economic committee meetings and ministerial visits related to areas of cooperation between the two sides were held.

The bilateral relationship is appreciated by the two governments, as well as the important role of Vietnam in the stability and development of ASEAN and Turkey in the Middle East and North Africa.

Regarding the potential of cooperation between Vietnam and Turkey in the coming time, Ambassador Do Son Hai affirmed that the ability to expand and improve the efficiency of trade cooperation is feasible.

According to the Ambassador, tourism is also a potential field because there is a lot of room for bilateral tourism cooperation.

On the basis that has been built, the two sides also hope that defense and security cooperation will have a new, stronger, and more comprehensive development.

Two-way trade turnover is the clearest evidence of the potential for developing relations between the two countries.

According to data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the first 4 months of 2023, Vietnam's export turnover to Turkey reached US$642.34 million, up 29.7%, while the import turnover was US$125.86 million, up 1.7% over the same period in 2022.

A favorable factor to strengthen bilateral relations is that the national carrier Turkish Airlines, the 7th largest airline in the world in 2022, now has direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Istanbul, with a frequency of 7 flights/week.

The search and rescue team of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) return from Turkey in February, concluding its working trip to join recovery efforts in the earthquake-hit nation. (Photo: VNA)

It is from the potential of cooperation that the two countries have set their determination towards the milestone of US$4 billion in two-way trade by 2025.

Ambassador Do Son Hai emphasized that at international organizations and multilateral forums, the potential for cooperation between the two countries is still great because the policies of Vietnam and Turkey have more common ground in protecting national interests.

The Ambassador said that 45 years of relationship showed that the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Turkey is necessary and can develop to new heights in the near future.

To achieve this goal, the two sides need to create more favorable conditions for the businesses of the two countries to penetrate each other's markets. There are specific activities and policies to support and promote the establishment of Vietnamese-Turkish joint venture companies, primarily in the field of agriculture, forestry, and fishery.

In addition, the two countries need to promote the organization of the 8th session of the Vietnam-Turkey Joint Economic and Trade Committee, he said. The seventh session was held in Hanoi in July 2017.

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