General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong arrived at Vnukovo 2 airport in Moscow at noon on September 5, starting an official visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

An official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese Party leader was held at the airport. 

This is the first visit by the highest-ranking leader of Vietnam to Russia since the reelection of President Putin in March this year.

The visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong aims to reiterate Vietnam’s consistent policy of considering Russia a partner of leading priority and deepening the comprehensive strategic partner with Russia in a substantive and effective manner. 

The Vietnamese Party leader is scheduled to meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev immediately after his arrival.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is welcomed at Vnukovo 2 airport

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong reviews the guard of honour at Vnukovo 2 airport in Moscow on September 5 

The Party leader and Russian officials at the welcome ceremony at Vnukovo 2 airport in Moscow on September 5

CPV chief meets with Russian Prime Minister

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and Russian Prime Minister Medvedev

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong met with Russian Prime Minister and Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on September 5.

PM Medvedev emphasized that the CPV leader’s visit to Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin is a vivid demonstration of the long-standing friendship between the two countries, and also an opportunity for the two sides to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership and take their ties to a new period of development.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong congratulated Russia for maintaining political stability, economic recovery and ensuring social security despite many difficulties in recent years, especially its successfully hosting of the 2018 World Cup. He affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam consistently attach importance to developing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

The two leaders spoke highly of the quality and dynamism in bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, from politics, diplomacy, economics, security and national defence to culture, health care, science-technology, education-training and law-justice as well as between their localities.

The two sides agreed to instruct their ministries and sectors to coordinate closely to continue optimize cooperative mechanisms in key fields, with attention paid to inspecting and supervising the implementation of high-level agreements, government treaties and protocols, commitments between ministries and sectors, and cooperative projects, thus constantly enhancing the quality of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

The leaders emphasized that economic cooperation always plays an important role in bilateral ties, and agreed to promote stronger development of economic, trade and investment ties on a par with political and cultural relations as well as the great potential of both sides.

They reached consensus on taking more measures to facilitate the implementation of the Vietnam-Eurasia free trade agreement.

PM Medvedev affirmed that the Russian government will work for the effective implementation of investment projects in each other’s territories, especially those in the fields of energy, oil and gas, transport, telecommunication, agriculture and fisheries, including seeking a flexible method of payment.

General Secretary Trong thanks Russian agencies for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Russia to have a stable life, contributing to the time-honoured friendship between the two nations.

PM Medvedev informed his guest that the Russian government is drafting a treaty on organized labour and movement of citizens of the two countries, thus facilitating people-to-people exchange and stimulating tourism.

The two sides noted with satisfaction the constant development of the relationship between the CPV and the United Russia, thus helping consolidating the foundation of the friendship, cooperation and political trust between the two parties, governments and people of the two countries.

They agreed to increase the exchange of delegation and mutual consultation through the party channel on important issues of mutual concern, thus contributing to the development of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

General Secretary Trong took the occasion to invite PM Medvedev to visit Vietnam again, and leaders of the United Russia to visit Vietnam. PM Medvedev accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Party leader encourages OV to contribute to Vietnam-Russia ties

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong (fifth from left) at the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow 

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong has urged the Vietnamese community in Russia to continue contributing to the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Russia. 

During his visit to Russia, the Party leader called at the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow on September 5, where he talked to the  and overseas Vietnamese about Vietnam-Russia ties. He stressed that his visit, made at the invitation of President V. Putin, aims to enhance political trust. 

Ambassador Ngo Duc Manh reported to the Party chief the situation of the Vietnamese community and the diverse activities of the Association of Vietnamese in Russia.

Representatives of the Vietnamese community expressed their joy at the achievements made by their home country. They said they believed the Party leader’s visit will be a success, lifting the Vietnam-Russia relationship to a new height. 

General Secretary Trong and his entourage also laid flower at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in memory of heroes who fell down in the Great Patriotic War, paid floral tribute to the leader of the world’s working class and workers’ movement, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin at his mausoleum.

Vietnamese, Russian ministries strengthen security ties

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security Bui Van Nam (L) and Russian First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandr Gorovoy sign the ministries' action coordination programme for 2019-2021 on September 5 

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) affirmed their readiness to expand bilateral cooperation during a working session between their deputy ministers in Moscow on September 5.

Deputy Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Bui Van Nam of Vietnam and First Deputy Minister Police Colonel-General Aleksandr Gorovoy of Russia discussed coordination through Interpol and reviewed cooperation in personnel training.

Gorovoy said the two countries’ traditional friendship, including the connections between the MPS and the MVD, has continually been reinforced and developed. He also highly valued the ministries’ cooperation in recent years.

For his part, Nam said scientific-technological breakthroughs, globalisation and growing international integration have created both opportunities and challenges, posing risk to security and social order and safety of many countries, including Vietnam and Russia. The emergence of many new crimes, especially transnational and organised crimes, terrorism, hi-tech crime, human trafficking and drug-related crimes, calls for closer and more effective cooperation between the MPS and the MVD.

He said in the time ahead, the two sides need to focus on improving the quality of delegation exchanges, sharing information and experience in crime fight in a timely manner, and working together to investigate, verify and hunt criminals of Russian and Vietnamese nationalities hiding in the two countries.

Russia and Vietnam need to enhance cooperation so as to prevent any organisations or individuals from taking advantage of one country’s territories to carry out sabotage activities against the other. They should also ensure security and safety for each other’s diplomatic representative agencies, entrepreneurs, students and expatriates.

The official called on the two sides to step up ties in improving the capacity of their law enforcement staff, especially in defence and military techniques, as well as in fighting hi-tech, drug and economic crimes.

Nam also asked the MVD to support the MPS with specialised equipment and vehicles made by Russia and consider transferring technology and partnering in the production of equipment and vehicles for crime prevention and combat in Vietnam.

At the working session, the two ministries signed an action coordination programme for 2019-2021. 

Russian experts, scholars laud Vietnamese Party chief’s visit

Russian experts and scholars have expressed their appreciation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong visit to Russia from September 5-9. 

Director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies Sergey Luzyanin said the visit will further deepen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in economic, political, and humanitarian aspects. 

He said Vietnam-Russia ties play an important role in the context of Russia strengthening its “Look East” policy, the US-China trade war and changes in Russia-China relations. 

Russia has always affirmed that Vietnam is a bridge to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with which Russia plans to establish durable ties, he said, adding that Vietnam has also become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after the US withdrew from the TPP and other regional projects. 

Amid the US and other western countries’ sanctions on Russia, exploration and domination of Asian markets, including Vietnam, is an important orientation for Russia, Luzyanin said.

Head of the Saint Petersburg State University’s Faculty of the History of the Far East Vladimir Kolotov said thanks to its renovation policy since 1986, Vietnam has reaped huge successes and become a “new tiger of Asia”. The country has not only curbed inflation but also strongly integrated into the region. 

Head of the Research Centre for Vietnam and ASEAN Vladimir Mazyrin highlighted the characteristics of the political system in Vietnam led by the CPV. He also emphasised the CPV leader Nguyen Phu Trong’s personal prestige in the fight against corruption, which has been welcomed by many countries globally. 

He suggested reaching for more strategic projects to fulfil the goal of lifting two-way trade to 10 billion USD by 2020, adding that in order to match the strategic partnership level, Russia needs to access more of Vietnam’s key projects, including those in nuclear power and metro systems. 

President of the Council of Experts at the Eurasian Ideas Foundation Grigory Trophimchuk said that, in recent years, Vietnam’s role has improved in economic and political spheres, not only in Southeast Asia, but also in Asia-Pacific and the world. 

Vietnam successfully held the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) last year, and is currently preparing for the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, proving that Vietnam’s position and influence has increased on international arena. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh, for his part, said the visit by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will create a new driving force to further deepen the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. 

He expressed his belief that the two countries will score new achievements in the near future, contributing to their own development and for the peace, well-being, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.

VNA