Writing a new chapter in the history of Vietnam-Russian Federation friendship

At the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin paid a State visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from June 19 to 20, 2024. Taking place on the occasion of Vietnam and Russia celebrating the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Fundamental Principles of Friendship Relations and the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the visit marks an important foreign event for both countries, contributing significantly to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world. The visit also demonstrates the importance of both countries to the long-standing traditional friendship and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

Looking back at the history of relations between Vietnam and Russia over the past 70 years, it can be seen that the relationship between the two countries has always been warm and trustworthy, increasingly developing in all areas such as politics-diplomacy, economics-trade, culture-society, science-technology ... Throughout the process of fighting for national independence and building the country, the Party, State and people of Vietnam have always received the sympathy, support, and sincere and righteous help of the Soviet Union (formerly) and today the Russian Federation.

Since the official establishment of diplomatic relations on January 30, 1950, the relationship between the two countries has developed very strongly . In March 2001, the two countries signed the Joint Statement on the Vietnam-Russia Strategic Partnership , marking an important milestone in bilateral relations.   In July 2012, the two countries decided to elevate their relationship by establishing a new framework of cooperation, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership .

President Tran Duc Luong and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia (Hanoi, 2001). (Photo: VNA)

In the political-diplomatic field, the Vietnam-Russia relationship has high trust and is increasingly consolidated through visits at all levels, especially at high levels. The two sides maintain many coordination and dialogue mechanisms such as the annual Diplomacy-Defense-Security Strategic Dialogue at the level of Permanent Deputy Foreign Ministers; Defense Strategic Dialogue at the level of Deputy Defense Ministers... In addition, the two sides conduct regular political consultations at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers and Departments within the framework of cooperation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries (2022). (Photo: VNA)

In   In the economic and trade fields, Vietnam and Russia maintain the mechanism of the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, established in 1992 and upgraded to the Deputy Prime Minister level in 2011. The Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member, has been effective since 2016.

Trade exchanges between the two countries have been maintained in recent times. Bilateral trade turnover in 2023 reached 3.63 billion USD; in the first quarter of 2024 it reached 1.11 billion USD. Vietnam's main export items to Russia include: phones, electronics, textiles, footwear, agricultural, aquatic and seafood products of all kinds...; main import items include: coal, wheat, iron and steel, fertilizers, cars, machinery and equipment of all kinds...

Regarding investment, as of April 2024, Russia currently has 186 investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 984.98 million USD, ranking 28th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Investment projects are implemented in 21 localities, in the fields of oil and gas, mining, processing and manufacturing industries... Vietnam has 18 investment projects in Russia, with a total registered capital of 1.63 billion USD, ranking 4th among 80 countries and territories with investment capital from Vietnam.

Nhan Dan Newspaper participates in the International Book Fair in Russia, May 16, 2024. (Photo: THUY VAN)

The close relationship between Vietnam and Russia not only comes from close support and cooperation in politics, economics and many other fields, but also from the harmony in the souls and feelings between the people of the two countries, expressed through cultural exchanges. Many literary works of high ideological and artistic value by great Russian names have become very familiar to the Vietnamese people.

In the field of education and training cooperation, the Soviet Union previously helped Vietnam train nearly 40,000 excellent cadres and experts in many different fields. Currently, Russia continues to support Vietnam in training human resources. Since 2019, Russia has increased the number of scholarships for Vietnam to about 1,000 per year. Currently, there are about 5,000 Vietnamese students studying in Russia. Vietnam has sent 1,204 students to study in Russia on scholarships for the 2022/2023 academic year.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vladimir Putin witnessed the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) on public opinion orientation for the Nuclear Science and Technology Center project (2018). (Photo: VNA)

Scientific and technological cooperation continues to be maintained. The two countries have carried out research and technology transfer projects. Scientific research cooperation within the framework of the Tropical Center in Vietnam has brought many positive results. The two sides are implementing the project of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research.

Local cooperation has been enhanced through delegation exchanges and the signing of many cooperation agreements. Currently, about 20 pairs of relations between localities of the two countries have been established, especially between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Moscow, Saint Petersburg.

Russian artists perform at the “Colors of Culture” Street Festival in Hue City (2022). (Photo: VNA)

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko affirmed:

In 2024, Vietnam and Russia will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Fundamental Principles of Friendship Relations and the 12th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 2025 is also a year of great significance as Vietnam and Russia celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. These are important moments for the two countries to review and honor past achievements in cooperation, while building a roadmap for cooperation and connection for mutual development in the future.

In an interview with Nhan Dan Newspaper reporters ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's State visit to Vietnam from June 19 to 20, comrade Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Party Central Committee's External Relations Commission, emphasized:

According to comrade Le Hoai Trung, the leaders of Vietnam and Russia agreed that over the past years, the relationship between the two countries has developed comprehensively and strongly, bringing practical benefits to the people of the two countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vladimir Putin met and spoke to the press after talks during their visit to Russia (2018). (Photo: VNA)

Assessing the 70-year journey of warm and trustworthy cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, Mr. Sadykov Timur Sirozhevich, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City, shared that the relationship between Vietnam and Russia is characterized by the closeness and similarity in history, culture and character of the two peoples with rich cultures and national identities. The two countries are united by common core values ​​such as ardent patriotism, strong will to fight against foreign invaders, diligence, creativity and profound humanity.

Consul General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City Sadykov Timur Sirozhevich expressed his confidence:

The State visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin will certainly yield good results, sending a strong message that Vietnam and Russia are determined to further deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, together writing new chapters of brighter cooperation in the history of bilateral relations./.

The Vietnam-Russia joint venture Vietsovpetro is the most effective unit in oil and gas exploration and exploitation, making great contributions to the Vietnamese economy and strengthening the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. (Photo: VNA)

Russian and Vietnamese experts at the control room for receiving and exporting oil on the Vietsovpetro-01 vessel. (Photo: VNA)

The Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant was built by the Soviet Union with Vietnam in 1979, consisting of 8 units with a total installed capacity of 1,920MW. (Photo: VNA)

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