PM visits Russia’s Zarubezhneft oil and gas group

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 17 called at Zarubezhneft – one of Russia’s leading oil and gas groups during his ongoing Russia visit from May 16-20.

In his welcome speech, Zarubezhneft General Director Sergey Kudryashov thanked the Vietnamese government for its support over the past number of years and pledged to boost ties with Vietnamese partners in the future.

The PM spoke highly of the effective cooperation between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and Zarubezhneft, evidenced by the operation of their joint ventures Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro, considering it a vivid symbol of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Vietnamese government always provides all possible support for sustainable, long-term and mutually-beneficial collaboration between the two countries, as well as between PetroVietnam and Zarubezhneft in particular, he stated.

In such spirit, he expressed his support to firms which study and expand the exploration of oil and gas in the two countries or the third country.

The guest also suggested seeking new forms of cooperation, especially in processing petrol products, manufacturing engine fuels and applying green technologies.

Talking with Zarubezhneft engineers and workers, the PM believed that on the back of the long-standing and close friendship between Vietnam and Russia, PetroVietnam - Zarubezhneft cooperation will further progress in the foreseeable future.

The Vietnamese leader is scheduled to visit Gazprom oil and gas group and hold a meeting with Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko the same day.

Vietnam, Russia parliaments should bolster cooperation in int’l arena

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Vietnamese and Russian legislative bodies to enhance cooperation in the international arena while meeting with the Speaker of Russia’s State Duma Sergei Naryshkin in Moscow on May 17.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Speaker of Russia’s State Duma Sergei Naryshkin.

The Vietnamese leader, who is on his first official visit to Russia as PM, congratulated the host country on its socio-economic development and its growing standing in the world. The State Duma is crucial to those successes, he added.

He renewed that Vietnam prioritises the intensification of its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

The State Duma Speaker hailed Vietnam’s impressive development and congratulated the Communist Party of Vietnam on the successful 12th National Congress, which set forth major orientations for the country’s development for the following years.

The Russian State Duma and all the parties that have seats in the lower house, including the United Russia party, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Fair Russia Party, support reinforcing the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, he noted.

At the meeting, both sides rejoiced over the flourishing partnership, as seen in the tightened political relations with high mutual trust and regular delegation exchanges at all levels that have driven up the countries’ all-faceted cooperation.

They voiced delight at the close coordination between Vietnam’s National Assembly and Russia’s Federal Assembly, which celebrate the 60 th founding anniversary of their cooperation relationship this year. They applauded the two parliaments’ frequent meetings and sharing of information and experience, which have greatly contributed to the growth in their respective nations.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the two parliaments to ensure the effect and enforceability of the international treaties that both Vietnam and Russia have participated in, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He also delivered the invitation to visit Vietnam from National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to Sergei Naryshkin.

Also on May 17, the Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a war memorial dedicated to the Russian soldiers killed during World War II, in Moscow.

They also paid homage to V.I. Lenin, the great leader of the working class and the international Communist movement, at his mausoleum in the Russian capital city.

Russian media: Vietnam, Russia step up bilateral trade

Vietnam and Russia set to increase two-way trade through implementing investment projects and articles of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), according to the Russian financial newspaper Vedomosti.

A number of energy deals were inked between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and Russian oil and gas companies in the framework of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Russia, the newspaper said.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that new energy cooperation projects will bring benefits to both sides, adding the Russian Government will give preferential treatment to those projects to ensure rational returns.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Vietnamese State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) also agreed to invest 500 million USD in the Russia-Vietnam investment platform to promote bilateral trade projects.

Russia wants Vietnam to provide seafood products and vegetables for the Russian market while Russia will ship high-quality meat products to Vietnam in return, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev highlighted.

Furthermore, cooperation in communications, information technology and banking is also among the interests of enterprises from both countries, he said.

VNA