Continuing the story of peace
A strong message of peace and compassion resonated throughout the 2026 Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize award ceremony. The auditorium erupted in applause as Party General Secretary and State President To Lam was presented with the award.
The event reflected international recognition of his contribution to peace and cooperation, as well as Viet Nam’s remarkable recovery from the devastation of war and its subsequent path of integration and development.
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Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin witness the exchange of cooperation documents. |
The event also drew considerable attention from the international media. Speaking to Sputnik, Dong Huy Cuong, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), said the award not only honored an individual but also reflected the close bond between Viet Nam and Russia and their shared commitment to peace.
Late in the afternoon of September 7 in Moscow, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam held a cordial meeting with Russian veterans and members of the Russia-Viet Nam Friendship Association.
Major General Pozdeev Anatoli Filipovich, 96 years old, a former Soviet military expert in Viet Nam, expressed pride in having stood alongside the Vietnamese people in fulfilling President Ho Chi Minh’s testament on national reunification. He also shared his joy at witnessing Viet Nam’s strong recovery and development.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam affirmed that Viet Nam would never forget the invaluable material and spiritual support, as well as the sacrifices in blood, made by Soviet and Russian friends during the two resistance wars and throughout the country’s national construction process.
As the Russian proverb says, “Friendship is greater than wealth.” The Viet Nam-Russia relationship has been embodied in generations of experts, energy projects, and oil and gas joint ventures. Russian President Vladimir Putin also emphasized that this special relationship had stood the test of time and remained unaffected by rapid changes in the world.
Enriching ties with new cooperation outcomes
The visit was marked by substantive and frank discussions. Party General Secretary and State President To Lam repeatedly stressed the need to turn political trust into concrete cooperation projects and create breakthroughs in strategic areas including science and technology, energy, the maritime economy, and human resources.
On September 8, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended a working breakfast with Nikolai Patrushev, Aide to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Board of the Russian Federation.
The two sides agreed to develop maritime transport routes and strengthen connections between seaports and logistics systems to facilitate trade. They also agreed to effectively implement existing cooperation agreements, further promote the role of the Viet Nam-Russia Tropical Center, and deepen cooperation in maritime security and the fight against crime at sea.
During the visit, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and President Vladimir Putin witnessed the inauguration of a disease prevention and control testing laboratory under the Viet Nam-Russia Tropical Center.
Russian Ambassador to Viet Nam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko described the center as a “unique cooperation tool” for generating scientific knowledge.
At the Viet Nam-Russia Science and Technology Forum themed “Strategic Technology Connection,” Party General Secretary and State President To Lam called for a shift in the approach to cooperation, from simply exchanging experts to jointly mastering technologies, developing products, and accessing markets. The aim, he said, was to make science and technology a new pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
On September 9, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam continued his meetings with leading Russian corporations, including Zarubezhneft and AFK Sistema, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
The discussions focused on promoting feasible projects, technology transfer, and conditions for direct production in Viet Nam in such fields as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace, and biomedicine.
The successful visit gave further substance to the message Party General Secretary and State President To Lam conveyed to the Russian news agency TASS: When the past is cherished, the present is nurtured, and the future is created together, the Viet Nam-Russia friendship will continue to be enriched by new achievements in cooperation, for the benefit of both peoples and for peace and development in the world.
Translated by Minh Anh