Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam and Russia have fostered a close friendship over the past 7 decades. President Phuc’s visit to Russia, one of his first destinations of his first overseas trip as President of Vietnam, demonstrates the Vietnamese Party, State, and people’s high respect for their ties and for President Vladimir Putin, a close friend of the Vietnamese people. 

Effective, practical cooperation 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam and Russia have maintained regular online meetings and talks to further boost bilateral cooperation in all fields. The Russia-Vietnam Joint Venture Vietsovpetro has pledged to maintain cooperation until 2030. Major Russian groups like Gazprom and Rosneft, have implemented multiple cooperation projects in Vietnam. Oil and gas enterprises of the two countries are considering expanding cooperation to new fields such as gas power, liquefied gas power, and renewable energy.

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko said, 'Vietnam is Russia’s top ASEAN partner. Bilateral trade totaled 5.7 billion USD last year, up 15%. In the first nine months of this year, two-way trade reached 4.5 billion USD, up 16% from last year. In 2020, Russia began 9 new projects in Vietnam with total capital of 944 million USD.'

Since implementation in 2016 of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) of which Russia is a member, Russian businesses have expanded their trade with Vietnam and other ASEAN countries. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, more than 900 Vietnamese businesses are exporting to EAEU countries and their export to Russia is growing more than 30% annually. 

Russia is also Vietnam’s top partner in military material. The two sides have enhanced bilateral cooperation in science, technology, education, tourism, cooperation between localities, and people-to-people exchanges. The more than 40,000 Vietnamese experts being trained in the former Soviet Union, the 80,000 Vietnamese working and living in Russia, and the more than 5,000 Vietnamese students studying in Russia are a bridge strengthening bilateral ties. 

In the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam gave Russia facemasks and some medical supplies. Russia gave Vietnam the Sputnik vaccine, medical supplies, and medicines. 

Russia respects its ties with Vietnam and ASEAN in general. Russia has supported Vietnam’s stance in dealing with disputes in the East Sea, in using peaceful means and not using or threatening to use force, respecting international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and finalizing the Code of Conduct in the East Sea. 

President’s visit hoped to solidify bilateral cooperation 

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Russia is of great importance in boosting current cooperation programs and paving the way for stronger cooperation in other fields.

Ambassador Bezdetko said, 'We hope that during the visit, leaders of the two countries will discuss in detail ways to strengthen the bilateral trade structure and enhance cooperation in traditional areas as well as in new areas like liquefied gas, automobile assembling, electricity, banking, and finance. We are interested in expanding bilateral cooperation in national defense, security, and training of Vietnamese soldiers in Russia.'

Vietnam and Russia have nurtured a close friendship and mutual trust and have recorded remarkable achievements in bilateral cooperation. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Russia will further consolidate the bilateral friendship and bolster the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.