Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man (L) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16, 2026. Photo: Vietnam News Agency
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-152) during Man’s working trip to Turkey from April 15 to 17, where he attended the event at the invitation of IPU President Tulia Ackson and IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and engaged in bilateral activities, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Man conveyed greetings from Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to President Erdogan and other senior Turkish leaders, while also expressing thanks for the warm reception from the host country.
Erdogan welcomed Man and the high-level Vietnamese delegation, and also conveyed his regards to Lam.
He reaffirmed that Turkey attaches importance to its relations with Vietnam and wishes to bring bilateral ties to a new level.
To that end, he shared with Man the need to strengthen political trust and to soon convene a joint committee meeting to further boost cooperation, as part of efforts to advance more substantive relations in the coming period.
Both sides agreed to take advantage of favorable conditions, including direct flight routes and e-visa policies, to facilitate travel, enhance business connectivity, expand trade and investment, and promote people-to-people exchanges.
Man noted that nearly 50 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Turkey have developed ties of growing strategic significance, which should be further elevated in line with their potential.
He also praised Turkey’s role and international standing, particularly its hosting of major global events in 2026, including IPU-152.
The two sides underscored the importance of expanding cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and broader people-to-people exchanges.
Recognizing significant untapped potential, they agreed that economic, trade, and investment ties should become a key pillar of bilateral relations.
They set a target of raising bilateral trade to US$4 billion, while encouraging Turkish businesses to expand investment in Vietnam and contribute to the country’s economic development.
Man also conveyed an invitation from Lam to Erdogan to visit Vietnam at a mutually convenient time, which the Turkish leader accepted with pleasure.
In a related development, Man attended a policy dialogue on Vietnam–Turkey cooperation the same day, where he described Turkey as an important partner of Vietnam and a strategic bridge between Asia and Europe, while noting that Vietnam is a dynamic economy and an important gateway for Turkey to access Southeast Asia and the Asia–Pacific region.
He added that the Vietnamese National Assembly will continue to support the government in improving institutions and creating a more favorable investment environment to facilitate bilateral cooperation.
