President Thuong meets President Putin in China

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong (L) meets Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on October 17, 2023. Photo by VNA

The two presidents discussed plans to bolster Vietnam-Russia bilateral relations.

Thuong said Vietnam has always considered Russia one of its most important partners, adding that he hopes to bolster his nation’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the Russian Federation in all fields.

He expressed his hope that Russia would continue granting Vietnamese students more scholarships while also expanding other cultural and "people-to-people" exchanges. He asked Russia to continue supporting Vietnamese people who are working, studying, and living permanently in the country.

Putin stated that Vietnam is one of Russia’s most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The leaders agreed that the two countries both see ample room for developments in bilateral cooperation.

The Russian president agreed with Thuong’s suggestions, especially those on encouraging innovative ideas and major plans to enhance the two countries’ ties in the future.

He also accepted Thuong’s invitation to visit Vietnam. In exchange, he invited Thuong to visit Russia at a suitable time.

Vietnam and Russia established diplomatic ties in 1950. The two countries celebrated 10 years of comprehensive strategic partnership last year.

Russia had invested a total of $965.8 million into 164 projects in Vietnam by the end of 2022, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, making it the 27th largest national foreign investor out of the 140 countries and territories currently investing in Vietnam. The Southeast Asian country has investments in five projects in Russia worth a total of $528 million, the ministry has reported.

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

Russia has so far granted Vietnamese students 1,000 scholarships in 2023. There are an estimated 5,000 Vietnamese students studying in the country.