Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, reached consensus on these issues during their talks in Moscow on December 15. 

Both government leaders expressed delight at the comprehensive development of the Vietnam-Russia strategic cooperative partnership in all fields such as politics, security, national defence, economy, trade, science, technology, culture and education as well as coordination in the international arena. 

They noted with pleasure that despite the adverse impact of the global economic-financial crisis, Vietnam-Russia two-way trade is estimated to reach US$1.5 billion this year, up 5 percent since 2008. 

They agreed to consider the possibility of holding negotiations to sign a bilateral free trade agreement, and to step up cooperative ties in culture, education, science-technology and tourism. 

PM Dung said Vietnam supports Russian companies’ plans to upgrade energy projects, which were built with the help of the former Soviet Union, as well as to build new projects, including nuclear plants. 

He also voiced his support for cooperation between enterprises in the fields of mining, civil aviation, automobile production and agricultural machine manufacturing. 

Following the talks, the two PMs signed a memorandum of understanding on the results of the talks and witnessed the signing of deals between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and the Gazprom Group and the Inter Rao, and an agreement between the Electricity of Vietnam Group and the energy group Rosatom. 

Other signed deals included a partnership between the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and the Russia Bank for Foreign Trade, a pact between Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Russian Ministry for Economic Development and an accord on military cooperation. 

The two Prime Ministers later held a joint press conference, where both of them expressed belief that the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Russia will continue to develop on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and support. 
Earlier on the same day, PM Dung paid a courtesy visit to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. 
The two sides discussed major diplomatic activities between the two countries in 2010, especially a visit to Russia by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in the first half of the year and Russian President Medvedev’s visit to Vietnam to attend the second Russia-ASEAN Summit in Hanoi and the 60^th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties. 

PM Dung and his entourage also laid a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Statue in Moscow. 
Later that day, PM Dung and his entourage left Moscow, heading to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend the UN Climate Change Conference.