Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich agreed that the Vietnam - Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has experienced dynamic development since it was formed in 2012. 

In their meeting on November 23 in Moscow, the two Deputy PMs also agreed that maintaining political trust via regular dialogues and delegation exchanges is an important basis for boosting bilateral cooperation, especially in economy. 

The two sides said that they will closely coordinated in implementing the Vietnam-EAEU free trade agreement, which is hoped to increase bilateral trade value to 10 billion USD by 2020, as well as accelerating priority cooperation projects. 

Both Deputy PMs affirmed their governments will create favourable conditions for enterprises of the two countries to invest in fields like energy, railways, machinery, light industry and agriculture. 

They noted the need to make use of the potential of both nations and boost their effective cooperation in defence-security, science-technology, education-training, culture-tourism, labour and collaboration between localities. 

At a meeting between Deputy PM Minh and First Vice Chairman of the Russian State Duma Ivan Melnikov on the same day, the two sides expressed their pleasure at the close coordination at international forums between Vietnam’s National Assembly and the Russian State Duma and wished the two legislative bodies would further their collaboration in the future. 

Laudingthe close relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of Russia, Ivan Melnikovbelieved that the two parties will continue their close coordination to promote bilateral ties.

Also on November 23, the Vietnamese officials met with First Vice Chairman of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation (Senate) Nikolai Fedorov. 

The Russian leaders agreed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to study, work and live in Russia. 

The same day, Deputy PM Minh visited Vietnam’s Embassy in Russia. Heencouragedthe embassy’s officials and staff to effectively implement the externalpolicies of the Party a nd State.

Vietnamese, Russian FMs seek to step up ties

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh reiterated the Vietnamese Party and leaders’ consistent policy of prioritizing strengthening traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on November 24. 

Minh, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, is on Russia visit from November 23-25. He briefed his host about Vietnam’s major orientations to socio-economic development and external policies in the next five years. 

Expressing satisfaction with high political trust between the two nations, both sides agreed to further facilitate the exchange of all-level visits on the Party, State, government, National Assembly, ministry and local channels; effectively maintain existing dialogue and consultation mechanisms; and hasten negotiations and signing of several agreements to fine-tune legal framework for bilateral coordination. 

In the first ten months of this year, two-way trade hit 2.2 billion USD. The two countries are set to effectively realise the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreement towards lifting the figure to 10 billion USD by 2020. 

In order to facilitate exports and imports, host and guest pledged to embark on projects in the fields of energy, industry, mechanical engineering, including establishing an automobile manufacturing joint-venture in Vietnam, opening a Vietnam light industry complex in Moscow, and TH True Milk’s dairy farm in Russia’s Moscow Oblast and Kaluga province. 

The two ministers underscored energy ties as one of the pillars strategic to each country’s development, and vowed all possible support for Vietnamese and Russian oil and gas firms to enhance coordination. 

They were committed to continuing effective and close bilateral cooperation in national defence-security, especially military technical aspect, as well as expanding ties across science-technology, education - training, culture, tourism, labour and liaison among localities. 

Minh thanked the Russian Foreign Ministry and agencies concerned for offering support to Vietnamese nationals living in the host country. 

On multilateral cooperation, the two countries will continue working closely together at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, the Asia-Europe Meeting, the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. 

Vietnam backs Russia’s active role in Asia-Pacific and stands ready to serve as a bridge connecting Russia and ASEAN, Minh said. 

Lavrov, for his part, hailed Vietnam’s increasing stature in the region and the world. 

The two ministers expressed their delight at the countries’ similar viewpoints in almost all regional and global matters of significance, including those involving Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. 

Turning to the East Sea issue, they were unanimous in the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). 

They described the maintenance of regular political consultation between the two foreign ministries as significant to further promoting Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership and joint action in international arena. 

Following the talks, Minh and Lavrov signed a cooperation scheme between the two foreign ministries for 2017-2018. 

Earlier, Minh laid a wreath at a memorial dedicated to unknown martyrs and Ho Chi Minh Monument in Moscow.

VNA