(VOVworld) – Russian President Vladimir Putin began a one-day state visit to Vietnam on Tuesday at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang. This is President Putin’s third visit to Vietnam and his second visit to Asia since he was elected president.
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President Putin and President Sang held talks after the welcoming ceremony. They agreed on measures to boost trade and investment ties with priority to be given to the early signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Customs Alliance, which includes Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and the implementation of investment projects agreed by the two Ministers of Industry and Trade. The two presidents stressed the need to boost cooperation in energy, particularly oil and gas in order to facilitate favorable conditions for both countries’ businesses to boost existing projects and develop new ones. They acknowledged the contributions made by Vietnamese citizens in Russia and Russian citizens in Vietnam to fostering the traditional spirit of friendship, mutual support and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. They agreed to continue providing the best possible conditions for their citizens to study and work in each other’s territory in the spirit of friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership.
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Both sides voiced their consensus on international issues of mutual concern and pledged joint efforts in the world arena. Both agreed that the state visit by President Putin contributed to empowering their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. During a press briefing after their talks on Tuesday, both Presidents praised the success of the talks. President Truong Tan Sang said: “The Russian President and I agreed on the need to strengthen political ties through the exchange of high-level visits and promote cooperation via the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and local authorities for both sides mutual benefit. I reiterate Vietnam’s political will and determination considering Russia as leading partner country in its foreign policy. Vietnam will do its best to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia”.
Both Presidents witnessed the signing of 17 cooperative agreements on trade, banking, national defense, oil, healthcare and education.
On the same day, President Putin laid a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Monument of Heroic Martyrs.
During talks with President Putin, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed his belief that the visit would boost the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Mr. Dung said the Vietnamese government would do its best to cooperate with Russia to realize agreements reached by the two governments and asked both sides to add these agreements to their annual priority list. The inter-governmental committee of each country will convene a yearly review meeting. Prime Minister Dung said the Vietnamese government would create the best conditions for Russian enterprises to increase investment, trade development, and tourism cooperation in Vietnam. He called on Russia to boost negotiations and sign a Free Trade Agreement soon between Vietnam and the Customs Alliance for the first time at the end of next year, towards an official agreement in 2015.
Vietnam also asked Russia to tighten cooperation to help with the construction process of Vietnam’s first nuclear plant in Ninh Thuan with the most advanced and safest technology. President Putin said that Vietnam was Russia’s key partner in the Asia-Pacific region and praised the Vietnamese government’s efforts in boosting cooperation between the two countries, particularly in economics, trade and investment. President Putin said that the goal of 7 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2015 is feasible as investment cooperation had shown good prospects. He said that Russia would boost the FTA negotiations between Vietnam and the Customs Alliance and that Russia was willing to expand cooperation with Vietnam in humanitarian areas such as healthcare, education and training, and culture.
Prime Minister Dung and President Putin agreed to bolster cooperation in defense, military technology, oil and gas, energy, mining, and education. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in international forums.
The same day, President Putin held talks with Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, who considered the president’s visit an important factor to boost the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Mr. Trong said that Vietnam supports Russia’s policy on the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia and welcomes Russia’s efforts to contribute to peace, security, cooperation, and development in the region including the East Sea.
He also accepted the president’s invitation to visit Russia in the future.