International media talks about Russian Prime Minister's visit to Vietnam

Many international news agencies believe that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Vietnam is of great significance, opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

International public opinion believes that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Vietnam will open a new chapter in relations between the two countries. Photo: VGP

On April 6-7, major Russian news agencies such as Ria Novosti, TASS, and Interfax reported on the results of the talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Russian Prime Minister Medvedev as well as Mr. Medvedev's meetings with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang.

The Russian Prime Minister affirmed that the Russian leaders and people still remember the recent visit to Russia by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, during which the two sides discussed issues of economic cooperation and cooperation between the two Parties.

During his visit to Vietnam, Prime Minister Medvedev and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on expanding and deepening comprehensive cooperation between the United Russia Party and the Communist Party of Vietnam for the 2015-2017 period.

Ria Novosti news agency emphasized that trade turnover between Vietnam and Russia in 2011 increased by 25% and according to both sides, this figure could reach 7 billion USD in 2015. In that context, the two countries will start negotiations to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Customs Union in the first quarter of 2013. This event will open up many new opportunities to increase trade turnover between the two countries and other countries in the region in the coming years.

Ria Novosti also affirmed that Vietnam is cooperating very effectively in the energy sector, highlighting the success of the Vietsovpetro oil and gas joint venture established in 1981. In addition, major Russian oil and gas companies such as Gazprom, Lukoil, TNK-BP... are also cooperating effectively with the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group on the continental shelf of Vietnam, in Russia and third countries.

National television channel 1TV said that a free trade area between Vietnam and the Customs Union countries should be established soon; at the same time, it emphasized the prospects for enhancing economic and trade cooperation between Russia and Vietnam in particular and with ASEAN in general.

Meanwhile, Sputnik news agency quoted Prime Minister Medvedev as assessing the Russian delegation's visit to Ho Chi Minh City as having symbolic value on the occasion of Vietnam's 40th anniversary of national reunification, and expressing confidence in the bright future of relations between the two countries.

Also according to Sputnik, at a meeting in Hanoi with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister Medvedev declared that Russia would be happy to welcome President Truong Tan Sang to Moscow to attend the festival events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory.

The Russian Prime Minister announced that Vietnam has the prospect of soon joining the Eurasian Economic Union, and emphasized that once joining the Eurasian Economic Union, two-way trade between Vietnam and Russia will reach 10 billion USD by around 2020.

Not only the Russian press, the British news agency Reuters also reported that Hanoi and Moscow are about to sign an agreement to form a free trade zone. In addition, Russia's Gazprom Group is expected to buy 49% of the shares of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery Operating Company.

The US news agency AP quoted Russian Prime Minister Medvedev during his visit to Vietnam, predicting that annual trade turnover with Vietnam could quadruple by 2020, reaching 10 billion USD; while last year, two-way trade turnover was 2.5 billion USD.

From Germany, die Zeit (Times) newspaper reported on April 6 that the Eurasian Economic Union wants to sign an FTA with Vietnam and during his visit to Hanoi, Russian Prime Minister Medvedev made many advances related to this effort.

According to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, this agreement could be signed in the first half of this year. This will be the first agreement of the Eurasian Economic Union with a third country. Prime Minister Medvedev also said that with the above agreement, Russia and Vietnam can further strengthen cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, nuclear energy and military technology.

According to Infonet