Bringing Vietnam-Russia relations to sustainable and effective development

The President's visit to Russia continues to affirm Vietnam's consistent policy of considering Russia as a top priority in foreign policy.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on June 28, President Tran Dai Quang and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation of our country, began an official visit to the Russian Federation from June 28 to July 1.

President Tran Dai Quang met with Russian President V. Putin on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China in May 2017. (Photo: ANTĐ)

This is the first official visit to the Russian Federation by President Tran Dai Quang since the 12th National Party Congress. The visit aims to continue implementing the foreign policy of diversification and multilateralization, consolidating and strengthening relations with traditional friendly countries, and creating momentum to promote cooperation in many fields.

On January 30, 1950, the Soviet Union was one of the first countries to recognize and officially establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Since then, that day has gone down in the history of Vietnam-Russia bilateral relations as an important milestone, laying the foundation for the strong friendship between the two peoples and the extensive and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. Today's Vietnam-Russia relations have inherited the Vietnam-Soviet relationship with the valuable asset of the great achievements of the traditional friendship and cooperation originating from previous years.

With the desire to promote the tradition of friendship and good cooperation between the two countries, the leaders of the two countries decided to elevate the relationship to a Strategic Partnership and later a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, creating political trust to further promote multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

On that basis, the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation has been constantly consolidated, with high trust, and regular exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones. In particular, the State visit to Vietnam on November 12, 2013 by Russian President Putin (also his third visit as President) and the visit to Russia by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in November 2014 and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in May 2016 were important milestones in the relationship between the two countries, creating a new impetus to strongly promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation to develop more and more dynamically.

Along with politics, diplomacy, economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has developed dynamically. Two-way trade turnover continues to increase, despite the difficulties of the regional and world economy. In 2015, bilateral trade turnover reached 2.2 billion USD, by 2016 it reached 2.7 billion USD; in the first 5 months of this year it reached nearly 1.4 billion USD. Vietnam's main export items to Russia include: phones, garments, agricultural, aquatic and seafood products of all kinds...; main import items include: petrol, iron and steel, fertilizer, machinery and equipment of all kinds...

In particular, some obstacles in trade cooperation such as the issue of quality control of Vietnam's agricultural, aquatic and seafood exports and the issue of import-export payments have been gradually resolved. Along with that, Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union countries officially signed the Free Trade Agreement on May 29, 2015. The agreement, which took effect from October 5, 2016, will create conditions to increase the trade turnover between the two countries to 10 billion USD by 2020.

In terms of investment, Russia currently ranks 23rd out of 116 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 118 projects and a total registered capital of 1.1 billion USD. Russian investment is mostly concentrated in the fields of energy, mining, processing and manufacturing industries, banking, etc. Vietnam's investment in Russia has increased rapidly in recent years, from just over 100 million USD in 2008, Vietnam currently has 18 investment projects in Russia with a total investment capital of 2.4 billion USD, focusing mainly on the fields of oil and gas, trade, agriculture, etc.

Cooperation in the oil and gas sector has continuously brought about efficiency for each country's economy. In addition to continuing cooperation within the framework of the Vietsovpetro Joint Venture until 2030, the two countries have established the Rusvietpetro, Vietgazprom, and Gazpromviet Joint Ventures to expand oil and gas cooperation in Vietnam, Russia, and third countries. At the same time, the two countries have reached an agreement to continue cooperation in the construction and modernization of energy projects in Vietnam.

Cooperation in other areas such as education and training, science and technology, culture and tourism has developed very positively. Each year, the Russian Federation grants Vietnam nearly 900 scholarships. The number of Russian tourists to Vietnam has increased continuously each year, reaching more than 430,000 in 2016.

In the first quarter of 2017 alone, Vietnam welcomed 150,000 Russian tourists, while cultural cooperation has been continuously strengthened with many activities introducing the cultures of the two countries being held regularly. The two sides annually and alternately organize Cultural Days in Vietnam and Russia, contributing to enhancing understanding and friendship between the people of Vietnam and Russia.

It can be affirmed that the Vietnam-Russia relationship was built and developed on the foundation of close friendship between the two peoples and has been verified through the fluctuations of history.

Continuing to consolidate and constantly develop the Vietnam - Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, promoting the tradition of mutual assistance and always supporting each other in any circumstances is the need and aspiration of the people of the two countries.

The official visit to the Russian Federation by President Tran Dai Quang and his wife, along with the high-ranking delegation of our country, once again affirms that Vietnam attaches importance to and wishes to continuously develop bilateral relations with the Russian Federation, creating momentum to promote comprehensive cooperation in all fields. At the same time, it continues to affirm Vietnam's consistent policy of considering the Russian Federation as a top priority in foreign policy, a comprehensive and trustworthy strategic partner./.

According to VOV