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| Aleksey Popov, Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City |
Speaking at a press conference to announce outcomes of cooperation between the two countries in HCM City on December 22, Popov said Russia always regards Vietnam as a trust-worthy partner and a long-standing friend, and is determined to expand the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.
The diplomat noted that the bilateral political ties have also developed dynamically in 2017, as reflected through all-level meetings between the two countries.
Economic and trade cooperation has also made remarkable strides with two-way trade reaching nearly US$4 billion in the first ten months of this year, up 36 percent year-on-year. The flow of Russian investments into Vietnam totaled US$2 billion while Vietnam’s investments in Russia hit US$2.9 billion.
Progresses have been made in security and national defence cooperation through the regular exchange of delegations and effective operation of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Technological and Defence Cooperation.
Popov also reviewed partnerships between Vietnamese and Russian provinces and cities as well as bilateral collaboration in culture and education.
According to the Consul General, 2018 is expected to witness various activities aiming to step up the Russia-Vietnam relationship, with a range of dialogues and high-level delegation exchanges.
Vyacheslav Kharinov, Chief Representative of the Russian Trade Office in Vietnam, said the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam, which took effect a year ago, has helped Vietnam and Russia complete the building of a structure promoting their economic and trade ties.
The year 2017 also saw changes in the structure of trade between the two nations, he said, explaining that apart from traditional products like high-tech equipment, Russia has also increased its export of maize, food and pharmaceutical products to Vietnam. Cooperation in logistics, tourism, information-technology, telecommunications, technical services and banking also developed strongly, he said.
Kharinov described the energy and fuel cooperation as a spotlight in bilateral economic ties. Between January-November, Vietsovpetro, an oil and gas joint venture between Vietnam and Russia, exploited more than 4 million tonnes of oil and liquefied gas.
Meanwhile, Rusvietpetro, another joint venture, also exploited over 2 million tonnes of oil in the Nenensk autonomous region of Russia in the first nine months of this year, he said.
