Vietnam, Russia push for broader cooperation

At a November 12 official welcome ceremony for Russian Vladimir Putin and his delegation, President Truong Tan Sang described their visit as a contribution to consolidating and developing the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

At their talks following the welcome ceremony, the two State leaders briefed each other on the political, socio-economic situation and external affairs in their respective countries and discussed international and regional issues of common concern.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reviews guard of honour

Vietnam-Russia political relations are developing vigorously based on a high level of reliability, they said, stressing the need to maintain delegation exchange and expand cooperation between the parties, governments, legislatures, ministries, sectors and localities.

Despite achieving positive results in bilateral trade which is predicted to hit US$4 billion this year, economic, trade, investment cooperation is yet to match with their full potential as well as fine political relations.

It is imperative to make breakthroughs in trade and investment links with priorities given to the early signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union and the successfully implementation of  investment projects defined by the two industry and trade ministries’ high-level working groups, they noted.

State President Truong Tan Sang (R) welcomes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin

Host and guest emphasized the need to place top priority on increasing energy cooperation including oil and gas exploration and exploitation and nuclear power and facilitating joint venture firms’ effective implementation of new projects in both nations.

They concurred to step up cooperation in building a nuclear power plant Ninh Thuan 1 with a focus on using the latest technology to ensure safety and highest efficiency and highest quality and training nuclear experts.

The leaders affirmed their willingness to continue to work together on mining, transport (including civil aviation), shipbuilding, machinery manufacturing, communications and telecommunications.

It is essential to enhance result and efficiency-orientated cooperation between localities and study possibilities to work hand in hand in building a light industry zone in Russia’s Far East Region, they said.

They also agreed to further cooperation in defence and military technique, which has enjoyed high trust and conformed with regulations and principles of international law, helping ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

They consented to beef up security cooperation, boost information sharing and consult on issues of mutual concern, work together in countering international terrorism and crime, and increase technical and training cooperation.

Both sides also agreed to adopt specific orientations and measures to carry out the policy of raising bilateral cooperation in science-technology and education-training to a strategic level.

They underscored the need to implement a project to set up the Vietnam-Russia University of Technology in Hanoi and improve the efficiency of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre.

The two Presidents acknowledged the remarkable contributions by Vietnamese people living and studying in Russia as well as those by Russian citizens in Vietnam in preserving and promoting the traditional friendship, mutual support and comprehensive cooperation between the two States and their people.

They agreed to continue offering favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Russian people living in each other’s territory in line with the two countries’ laws and in the spirit of friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two sides showed a high degree of unanimity in regional and international issues of common concern, affirming the continued strengthening of coordination in the international arena.

Vietnamese and Russian delegations hold high-level talks

They emphasized the importance of Vietnam-Russia cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum as well as in regional structures in which ASEAN plays a core role such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+), noting that it helps foster peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

President Putin invited President Truong Tan Sang to visit Russia in an appropriate time, which the latter accepted with pleasure.

Presidents Sang and Putin witness the signing of cooperation documents

After the talks, the two Presidents hold a press briefing and witnessed the signing of important cooperation documents in various fields—economics, trade, banking, national defence, oil and gas, healthcare and education which will provide an important legal foundation for lifting the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level in the time to come.