President’s Russia visit to enhance bilateral ties

State President Truong Tan Sang’s upcoming visit to Russia to attend the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War aims at consolidating and enhancing the two countries’ friendship and multi-faceted cooperation.

The President will attend the anniversary celebrations from May 7^th-10^th as the guest of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. During his stay, he also plans to discuss with Russian leaders sustainable economic development experiences and measures to boost bilateral cooperation in an intensive and effective manner.

On January 30^th, 1950, the then Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the Soviet Union) officially set up diplomatic relationship. On June 16^th, 1994, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation signed an agreement on basic principles on bilateral friendship, forming a legal foundation for their relations in the following years.

President Truong Tan Sang (right) receiving Russian President Putin in Vietnam in 2013. Photo: baodientu.chinhphu.vn

The countries inked a joint statement on lifting their ties to the strategic partnership on March 1^st, 2001. And on July 27^th, 2012, they issued another joint statement on enhancing their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Political relations between the nations have been continually consolidated on the basis of mutual trust as evidenced by regular all-level delegations exchanged.

The two nations established an annual strategic dialogue on diplomacy-defence-security at the deputy foreign ministerial level in 2008 and set up a strategic dialogue at the deputy defence ministerial level in 2013. They have also held regular political consultations at the deputy foreign ministerial level.

Vietnam and Russia have shared viewpoints on a number of regional and international issues, closely coordinated and supported each other at international forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN-Russia framework. Vietnam actively worked to help Russia become a member of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum in 2010 and join the East Asia Summit in 2011.

Bilateral economic cooperation has strongly developed over the past years but still remains far behind potential. Vietnam and Russia recognized each other’s market economy in 2007. The two countries have maintained the Inter-Government mechanism on cooperation on economy-trade and science-technology since 1992, which was elevated to the deputy prime minister-level in 2011.

On December 15^th, 2014, Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union that groups Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan signed a joint statement on basically concluding the negotiation on a bilateral free trade agreement. The agreement is expected to be officially signed in the first half of 2015.

Russia currently ranks 17th among 101 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with 106 projects worth nearly USD 2 billion, focusing on the mining, processing, and manufacturing industries.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian country is now running 19 projects valued at USD 2.47 billion in Russia, mainly in oil and gas and trade.

Energy is a traditional cooperation area greatly benefiting both nations. Besides extending the term of the joint venture Vietsovpetro until 2030, the countries have set up other joint ventures, namely Rusvietpetro, Vietgazprom and Gazpromviet to continue oil and gas collaboration in Vietnam, Russia, and beyond.

They also inked an inter-governmental cooperation agreement on building a nuclear power plant in Vietnam on October 31^st, 2010.

In addition, cultural exchanges have been held regularly, contributing to promoting the two peoples’ mutual understanding and friendship. Russia is among the 10 countries having the most number of tourists to Vietnam with 364,000 arrivals in 2014, increasing from 300,000 in 2013 and 176,000 in 2012.

In the past, the Soviet Union gave training for nearly 40,000 Vietnamese officials and experts. Russia pledged to provide more than 790 graduate and post-graduate scholarships for Vietnam in 2015, a surge from 600 in 2014.

About 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia and the two countries have agreed to work towards the establishment of a Vietnam-Russia university of technology in Vietnam.

Cooperation between their localities have also been fostered through the exchange of delegations and the signing of cooperation agreements, such as that between Vietnam’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and Russia’s Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Since 1991, Vietnam and Russia have inked more than 100 cooperation documents in various fields, ranging from economics, oil and gas, nuclear energy, education-training, to culture-science, and military technique.