Attendees are pictured at a cultural exchange programme that took place in Vũng Tàu City in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on Thursday night. The event aimed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Việt Nam-Russia diplomatic relations.— VNA/VNS Photo Đoàn Mạnh Dương

VŨNG TÀU — State-level relations and co-operation between localities in Việt Nam and Russia have been strongly strengthened in recent years, according to the vice-chairman of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province People’s Committee Trần Văn Tuấn.

He made the statement at a cultural exchange programme in Vũng Tàu City in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on Thursday night.

Organised by the Union of Friendship Organisations of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, the event aimed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Việt Nam-Russia diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Fundamental Principles of the Việt Nam-Russian Federation Friendly Relations.

Notable attendees included Popov Aleksei Vladimirovich, Consul General of the Russian Federation in HCM City, representatives of Việt Nam - Russia Friendship Association in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, the trade union of Việt Nam - Russia Joint Enterprise Vietsovpetro and other related organisations as well as Russians based in the province.

Addressing the event, Tuấn reviewed co-operation activities between two countries in recent years

In October 2010, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province signed a co-operation agreement with the Nenetskiy Autonomous Region and in January 2017, the province and the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia established a co-operative relationship.

A Vietnamese delegation also paid a visit to the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia on October 2018 during which they reached significant agreements on economic, trade, scientific and technological co-operation.  

Delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, particularly high-level exchanges, have been regularly maintained, including Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc's visit to Russia in May 2019 that opened the celebration of Cross-Year of Friendship 2019-2020 between Việt Nam and Russia.

“The investment collaboration between Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province and Russia has also thrived in the fields of oil exploitation, tourism, maritime and construction. Particularly, Vietsovpetro, Việt Nam - Russia Joint Enterprise, has become a symbolic success of the two nations’ relations.

"Furthermore, the province has also been proactively joined the trade flow between the two countries, exporting key products like seafood, cashew and garments to the Russian market,” he noted.

According to Tuấn, friendship exchange activities to introduce and promote the culture and tourism of each country have been regularly coordinated by the Union of Friendship Organisations, Việt Nam - Russia Friendship Association in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province and the trade union of Vietsovpetro.

“The complicated and unpredictable developments in the world and the COVID-19 pandemic have imposed unprecedented challenges on all nations. However, Vietnamese and Russian peoples, with our long history of solidarity and association, will stand side by side, holding hands to share and support each other in overcoming all difficulties and defeat the pandemic," he added.

Popov Aleksei Vladimirovich, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in HCM City, emphasised that 2019 and 2020 are two special years for the relationship between Russia and Việt Nam.

Vietnamese friends have cherished and preserved the friendship between the two countries. It is a tradition since the October Revolution and has been nurtured by previous generations and developed by Vietnamese and Russia descendants, he said.         

The Consulate General also noted that diplomatic ties between localities and the Russian Federation have grown along with state-level relations.

Also at the exchange programme, a reportage featuring the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Russia and the activities of the Việt Nam-Russia Association were screened, in addition to art performances and traditional cuisine. VNS