Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)

The forum was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the National People's Congress of China Li Zhanshu, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, and Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob delivered videotaped speeches.

In his speech, the PM Chinh said Vietnam proactively participates in multilateral initiatives, including regional and inter-regional economic links, and Vietnam is ready to contribute to economic recovery and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific.

As the global economy and trade are facing many difficulties and challenges, Vietnam advocates building an independent and self-reliant economy and actively and substantively integrating into the international community.  Besides effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam has also succeeded in stabilizing the macro-economy, controlling inflation, maintaining high growth, ensuring major balances of the national economy, stabilizing socio-political situation,  promoting foreign relations and economic cooperation, and fully restoring investment and tourism activities, he noted. 

The PM emphasized bilateral economic relations between Vietnam and Russia, saying Vietnam values the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia and praises bilateral economic cooperation in recent years, especially in energy and industry. “We want to continue to promote cooperation in fields of strength, make effective use of, and soon upgrade the free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Simultaneously, we need to study, supplement, and upgrade the content of this agreement in accordance with the new development context," PM Chinh said.

Vietnam welcomes economic connectivity between Russia, especially the Far East, and Asia-Pacific countries; and the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership, PM Chinh said, stating that Vietnam is willing to act as a bridge promoting the ASEAN-Russia cooperation, including building an ASEAN-EAEU FTA.

The Eastern Economic Forum has been organized annually since 2015 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to connect and expand economic and trade cooperation between Russia's Far East and countries in Asia Pacific.