The Vietnamese community in Russia remains an important bridge strengthening ties between the two nations, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and a high-level Vietnamese delegation met with staff from Vietnam’s representative agencies and members of the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in Russia on June 17.
Speaking at the gathering, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi said the Vietnamese community in Russia was delighted by the successful conclusion of the 14th National Party Congress, which has ushered Vietnam into a new era of development.
The ambassador noted that the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has recently entered a new phase of strong growth, marked by increasing political trust, broader and more effective cooperation, and closer people-to-people exchanges.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung meets staff of Vietnam’s representative agencies and members of the Vietnamese community in Russia. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Notably, cooperation in new fields such as nuclear energy, science and technology, and healthcare has expanded significantly. Educational cooperation has also strengthened, with Vietnam fully utilizing its student quota for study in Russia. Interest remains exceptionally high, with 3,500 applicants competing for 1,000 scholarships.
In 2025, more than 690,000 Russian visitors traveled to Vietnam, double the figure recorded in 2024. During the first five months of this year, Vietnam welcomed 618,000 Russian visitors, nearly twice as many as in the same period of 2025. The total is expected to exceed one million by the end of the year.
Dang Minh Khoi emphasized that Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s participation in the ASEAN-Russia Summit is one of the most important diplomatic activities undertaken by Vietnam’s senior leadership this year, carrying special significance for both bilateral and multilateral relations.
He also revealed plans to establish a Vietnam-Russia Knowledge Network to contribute to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and further strengthen bilateral ties.
Do Xuan Hoang, member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and chairman of the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia, expressed gratitude for the attention and support shown by the Party, State and the prime minister toward overseas Vietnamese.
He noted that despite numerous challenges, the Vietnamese community in Russia has remained stable, united and confident in its integration and development. The community has gradually shifted toward higher-value business models, while a new generation of Vietnamese intellectuals in Russia is emerging and helping connect the economies and scientific communities of both countries.
According to the union, approximately 80,000 Vietnamese people currently live, study and work across Russia, including in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok and other cities.
Community members are engaged in a wide range of sectors, including trade, services, manufacturing, logistics, import-export, hospitality, tourism, scientific research, education and high technology.
Most enjoy stable living conditions, clear legal status and growing social standing. Many Vietnamese entrepreneurs, academics, experts and students have established respected positions within Russian society and are highly regarded by local authorities and citizens.
Some have returned to Vietnam with valuable experience and capital, becoming leaders of major private enterprises and contributing significantly to the country’s socio-economic development.
Representing the scientific community, experts and Vietnamese students in Russia, Nguyen Quoc Hung, director of the Tradition and Friendship Foundation, highlighted Politburo Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation.
He described the resolution as more than a political document, calling it a guiding framework that opens a new chapter for Vietnam’s development through knowledge and innovation.
According to Nguyen Quoc Hung, Russia remains a global leader in fundamental science, nuclear technology, aerospace, energy, advanced materials and artificial intelligence. Russia’s growing emphasis on technological self-reliance and stronger engagement with Asian partners creates strategic opportunities for Vietnam to access core technologies, reduce dependence on imported technologies and move further up global value chains.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung speaks at the meeting with staff of Vietnam’s representative agencies and members of the Vietnamese community in Russia. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
Supported by the Vietnamese Embassy and Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi, the foundation is promoting the Vietnam-Russia Intellectual Network initiative, aimed at creating a shared platform linking experts from both countries, mobilizing the creative potential of Russian specialists and overseas Vietnamese professionals.
The initiative seeks to identify intellectual resources, understand research and innovation capabilities, and connect experts to transform ideas into practical products and solutions.
The foundation has also supported talented students and young researchers, connected scientists from both countries and funded research programs, contributing to the long-term development of bilateral cooperation.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese expatriates in Russia and conveyed greetings and best wishes from the Party, State and people of Vietnam.
He noted that this was his first visit to Russia and also his first meeting with an overseas Vietnamese community since becoming prime minister.
The prime minister said Vietnam’s leaders are fully aware of and deeply sympathetic to the challenges overseas Vietnamese face amid global uncertainties, and have consistently instructed representative agencies to prioritize citizen protection and support.
He praised the community’s solidarity, resilience and willingness to support one another, noting that the traditional values of the Vietnamese people become even stronger in difficult times.
According to the prime minister, Russia hosts one of the largest and longest-established Vietnamese communities abroad. Throughout different stages of Vietnam-Russia relations, the community has remained closely connected to the homeland and contributed significantly to strengthening traditional friendship between the two nations.
He also commended the effective work of the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia, business associations, hometown groups and professional organizations in uniting the community, safeguarding legitimate interests, preserving cultural identity and maintaining strong ties with Vietnam.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung addresses the meeting with staff of Vietnam’s representative agencies and members of the Vietnamese community in Russia. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
The prime minister welcomed the positive transformation of Vietnamese business activities in Russia, which are becoming increasingly sustainable and value-oriented, while Vietnam itself is pursuing economic restructuring, higher productivity and stronger competitiveness.
Despite ongoing global challenges, Vietnam has continued to achieve important development gains, he said, emphasizing that overseas Vietnamese, including those in Russia, have made significant contributions to these achievements.
The prime minister noted that Vietnam aims to maintain double-digit economic growth over the coming years, become a developing country with a modern industrial base and upper-middle-income status by 2030, and achieve developed, high-income nation status by 2045.
To achieve these goals, Vietnam is implementing comprehensive reforms and new approaches at all levels while maintaining macroeconomic stability and balanced growth.
Among the key priorities are building transparent, internationally aligned institutions and policies, effectively mobilizing domestic and international resources, including contributions from overseas Vietnamese.
Vietnam is also shifting from a growth model driven by capital and labor toward one powered by science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, which he described as essential for building an independent, competitive and productive economy.
At the same time, the country continues to prioritize international integration and foreign affairs while paying close attention to overseas Vietnamese communities worldwide.
The prime minister reiterated that achieving Vietnam’s ambitious goals will require national unity and the combined efforts of all Vietnamese people, including the 6.5 million Vietnamese living abroad.
Referring to Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Russia in May 2025 during celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, Le Minh Hung noted that leaders of both countries had agreed to elevate bilateral cooperation across all sectors in line with the demands of a new development era.
He called on the Vietnamese community in Russia to continue demonstrating patriotism, creativity and entrepreneurship, while leveraging its unique advantages to contribute more to Vietnam’s development.
He encouraged Vietnamese businesses in Russia to expand investment and commercial activities, serve as bridges connecting Vietnamese goods to the Russian and Eurasian Economic Union markets, and facilitate the transfer of advanced Russian technologies and management expertise to Vietnam.
The prime minister also urged stronger links with research institutions, universities and businesses in Vietnam, as well as greater participation in innovation, digital transformation, science and technology initiatives and high-quality workforce development.
He encouraged younger generations of Vietnamese in Russia to continue their studies, integrate into local society, preserve the Vietnamese language and culture, nurture their connection to their homeland and become global citizens with a strong Vietnamese identity.
Le Minh Hung said the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Russia, cultivated by generations of leaders and citizens, continues to develop positively and offers growing opportunities in economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy, defense, security, education and training.
He expressed confidence that the Vietnamese community in Russia would remain a pioneering force in promoting people-to-people exchanges and advancing cooperation in trade, science, technology and education, while serving as a vital bridge strengthening the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Emphasizing that every overseas Vietnamese should act as an ambassador for the nation, the prime minister encouraged the community to remain united, respect local laws, build a positive image and continue contributing to Vietnam’s prosperity and development.
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung with Vietnamese students and members of the Vietnamese community in Russia. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA
The prime minister reaffirmed the Party and State’s consistent policy of recognizing overseas Vietnamese as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation.
Vietnam will continue improving policies to help overseas Vietnamese preserve their cultural identity, stabilize their lives, safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and participate more actively in national development.
He also praised the efforts of Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi and staff at Vietnam’s Embassy and Consulates General in Russia for strengthening bilateral relations, organizing high-level exchanges and providing effective citizen protection.
The prime minister called on Vietnam’s representative agencies in Russia to continue supporting the community, listening to its concerns, protecting legitimate interests and expanding Vietnamese language education programs.
He urged diplomats to further enhance professionalism, responsibility and effectiveness in serving both bilateral relations and national development.
The prime minister also requested the embassy and consulates to continue implementing policies related to overseas Vietnamese in accordance with Politburo Resolution 36, Directive 45 and Conclusion 12.
He stressed that Vietnam’s representative agencies abroad must truly serve as a common home, a reliable source of support and a trusted address for overseas Vietnamese, especially during difficult times.
According to the visit agenda, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung later attended a reception hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for heads of delegation participating in the Russia-ASEAN Summit and took part in several bilateral activities.
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