Oil, gas and energy cooperation important pillar of Vietnam-Russia ties: legislators

Holding talks in Hanoi on Sunday, Hue called Volodin's visit a significant event contributing to consolidating and enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two legislative bodies and the two countries in general.

Volodin said the two countries boast a comprehensive strategic partnership and it can be said that they are strategic friends, suggesting the two legislative bodies make more contributions to the bilateral ties, and seek new cooperation forms to advance the relationship, including economic, trade and investment cooperation.

The Russian State Duma leader said some 572,000 Russians visited Vietnam in 2019, and suggested the two countries further facilitate the exchange and traveling of their citizens after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hue said Russia is always a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy, he said, stressing that Vietnam treasures and wishes to consolidate and enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia through all the Party, legislature, Government and people-to-people exchange channels.

The two legislative leaders acknowledged positive changes in the bilateral relations through high-level delegation exchange. They proposed that the two sides continue to enhance the exchange of delegation at all levels to continue promoting practical and effective cooperation through all channels, especially the Party and parliament channels.

NA Chairman Hue affirmed that Vietnam supports Russia in promoting its active role in Asia-Pacific in regional processes and issues; and is ready to act as a bridge promoting cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries.

The two sides agreed to coordinate at multilateral forums, within ASEAN and the UN. In that spirit, Vietnam called on the Russia side to support the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam in resolving disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and via the Russia-ASEAN relationship, work as an active factor to advocate the early building and enforcement of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Regarding economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the officials said the two sides have been actively coordinating to implement agreements and outcomes achieved at the 24th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and enhance exchanges between agencies, ministries, sectors and localities to soon outline action plans for specific implementation progress.

He suggested the Russian side consider simplifying import procedures for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products; push forward the negotiations, upgrade, amendment and supplementation of the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement, towards lifting two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2030.

The two sides spoke highly of the results of the 3rd meeting of the Vietnam - Russia Cooperation Committee on education, science and technology in November 2022.

Hue thanked Russia for continuing to providing 1,000 scholarships for Vietnam each year, and suggested the Russian side continue to maintain and promote joint cooperation projects in the field of science and technology.

He said that Vietnam wishes to maintain the current forms and mechanisms for high-level and working-level meetings in various fields with Russia; promote cooperation in vocational education; soon resume and complete negotiations on a Government agreement on recruiting Vietnamese laborers to work in Russia; foster tourism cooperation; remove difficulties to reopen direct flights between the capitals of the two countries; and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities of the two nations.

He hoped that the parliament and government of Russia would continue to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Russia to stabilize their lives, integrate into the host community, thus contributing to the relations of the two countries.

The Russian legislative leader expressed support for the cooperation proposals of Hue, and emphasized the role of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the Vietnamese NA and the Russian State Duma in more thoroughly discussing these proposal, thus contributing to expanding the cooperation program between the two legislative bodies and the two countries as well as strengthening supervision of the implementation of cooperation agreements between the two governments.

As for the conflict in Ukraine, Hue hoped the parties will seek diplomatic and peaceful solutions on the basis of the UN Charter and international law. He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to play an active role in the reconciliation processes.

Vietnam and Russia celebrated 10 years of comprehensive strategic partnership last year.

Russia has invested $965.8 million into 164 projects in Vietnam by the end of 2022, making it the 27th largest investor of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The Southeast Asian country is investing in five projects worth $528 million in Russia, according to the Ministry of Investment and Planning.

Bilateral trade reached $3.55 billion last year, according to the General Customs Department.