HÀ NỘI  — A Vietnamese light industry zone was inaugurated in Serpukhov city, Russia’s Moscow region yesterday, hosting garment and textile firms that employ 280 workers, mostly Vietnamese.

The zone covers an area of about two hectares and will be expanded in the future. Each month, factories in the zone supply about 60,000 products to the market with a value of about 40 million rubles (US$627,741).

The project is expected to boost friendship between Russian and Vietnamese people, while solving illegal labour problems.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Moscow Region Vice Governor Denis Butsaev said that Moscow strongly supports the project, which was initiated in 2013, and wants to develop its partnership with Việt Nam.

Vietnamese businesses operate actively in Moscow’s outskirts with many investment projects in various fields, he noted.

The inauguration of the zone reflects the efforts of Vietnamese investors in making their business operation in the host country transparent and legal, he said.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyễn Thanh Sơn thanked leaders of the Moscow region for backing Vietnamese enterprises.

He said that the operation of the zone is part of co-operation between Vietnamese localities and Moscow.

Last year, leaders of Moscow region and HCM City signed an agreement on the establishment of the light industry zone, he said, revealing that administrative procedures for the project are being finalised.

On the occasion, the diplomat asked the Vietnamese community working in the zone to abide by the law of the host country, thus fostering the friendship between the two countries. — VNS