Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Le Minh Hung received in Hanoi on November 12 Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Valentina Matviyenko, during which he highlighted the priority to translate high-level agreements between the two countries into effective cooperation programmes.
Welcoming Matviyenko and the high-level Russian Federation Council delegation on their official visit to Vietnam, PM Hung reaffirmed that the Vietnamese Government attaches great importance to the traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia. He spoke highly of the role played by the Federation Council and the Russian Federal Assembly, as well as Matviyenko’s personal contributions, in advancing bilateral ties.
The PM stressed that a key task now is to translate the orientations and agreements reached by the two countries’ senior leaders into effective cooperation programmes and projects. He suggested the Federation Council and the Russian Federal Assembly continue working with Vietnam’s National Assembly to help the two governments refine their legal frameworks and address obstacles and difficulties in implementing bilateral cooperation.
On economic cooperation, PM Hung urged both sides to make better use of existing cooperation mechanisms and facilitate trade and investment; support businesses in accessing markets, finding partners and expanding their operations.
He underscored the importance of maintaining effective collaboration in energy and oil and gas, while promoting cooperation in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purpose, with attention to safety, technology transfer and human resource training.
Regarding trade, the host expressed his hope that Russia and other member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will soon initiate negotiations to amend the Vietnam-EAEU Free Trade Agreement to bring it in line with changing trade conditions and help raise bilateral trade turnover to the target of 15 billion USD.
He emphasised that the two sides need to strengthen cooperation in science and technology, innovation, education and training; promote links among universities, research institutes and businesses; and expand collaboration between localities, as well as in culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. He called for better use of favourable air connectivity between the two countries.
For her part, Chairwoman Matviyenko spoke highly of Vietnam’s development prospects and cooperation potential, affirming that the Russian Federation Council and Federal Assembly support stronger ties with Vietnam and stand ready to exercise their functions and powers to help implement agreements between the two governments.
She expressed her desire to promote connections between Russian federal entities and Vietnamese provinces and cities, creating more opportunities for businesses from both countries. She proposed continuing cooperation in education and Russian-language teaching, as well as cultural exchanges and tourism.
She said that generations of Vietnamese people who had studied and worked in Russia, together with friendship organisations, represent a valuable resource for expanding cooperation and fostering greater mutual understanding between the two peoples.
Both sides agreed to strengthen coordination between the two governments, legislative bodies and localities to advance the implementation of bilateral agreements, with a focus on resolving specific obstacles, improving cooperation outcomes and creating a favourable environment for businesses.
They shared the view that cooperation in education, science and culture, along with exchanges among younger generations, plays an important role in strengthening the long-term foundations of Vietnam-Russia relations. Both sides also agreed to encourage agencies and localities to proactively propose cooperation programmes suited to their respective strengths and needs.
In this spirit, the two leaders affirmed their commitment to facilitating and proactively organising people-to-people exchange activities, including the second Vietnam-Russia People’s Diplomacy Forum recently held in St. Petersburg, cultural promotion events such as the Vietnam Cultural Festival 2025, and business and local-level networking activities between the two countries.
