Russian and international media ran articles on April 6-7 reporting on the Vietnam visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, highlighting the significance of the visit as at a time when Vietnam has risen to become one of the leading countries in Asia-Pacific.

Russian press agencies like Ria-Novosti, Itar-Tass, and Interfax praised the outcomes of the talks between Medvedev and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung as well as his meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Truong Tan Sang.

In its article, news agency Ria-Novosti affirmed that Russia and Vietnam are efficiently cooperating in energy. It also hailed the success of the Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture company Vietsovpetro, established in 1981, as well as the effective collaboration between Russia’s big oil and gas companies like Gasprom, Lukoil and TNK-BP and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group in Vietnam’s continental shelf, Russia and third party countries.

The Russian national television channel “1 TV” emphasised the need for the early establishment of a free trade area between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, underlining prospects for economic and trade cooperation enhancement between Russia and Vietnam as well as the greater ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Sputnik news agency quoted Medvedev as saying that once Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union sign their free trade agreement, Russia’s bilateral trade with Vietnam could reach the targeted 10 billion USD by 2020.

US-based Associated Press (AP) also cited the PM’s speech that trade between Vietnam and Russia could reach their target.

The UK’s Reuters ran an article mentioning the pending signing of an agreement on the establishment of a free trade zone between Hanoi and Moscow.

The signing of the agreement was also spotlighted by Germany’s “Die Zeit” newspaper. It quoted PM Nguyen Tan Dung as saying that the agreement is likely to be signed by the first half of this year.

Russian Prime Minister welcomed in HCM City

Visiting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had a meeting with Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan on April 7 during which they highlighted cooperation between Russian localities and the city.

The Russian PM said he hopes localities in the two countries will continue growing and invited companies in HCM City to invest in Russia, especially the Far East region, to develop the textile, seafood processing and fertiliser industries.

He emphasised the importance of cooperation in tourism between the two sides, saying that the drop in Russian tourists to Vietnam is temporary and caused by economic difficulties. He requested Russian and Vietnamese companies make efforts to bring Russian tourism in HCM City to its traditional levels.

For his part, Chairman Quan affirmed HCM City has seen fruitful cooperation with localities in Russia and intends to sign cooperation agreements with Moscow province shortly.

Trade between HCM City and Russia reached 300 million USD in 2014, he said.-

VNA