Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng and his Russian counterpart Maxim Akimov at the meeting in Vladivostok. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Trí

VLADIVOSTOK — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng and his Russian counterpart Maxim Akimov agreed that oil and gas cooperation bears strategic significance to Việt Nam – Russia relations at their meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of the ongoing 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). 

The two officials took the occasion to exchange their opinions on the implementation of the two countries’ joint projects and agreements.
They shared the view that bilateral cooperation is going smoothly across all fields and highlighted the need for effective measures to capitalise on the potential of both countries and of the Eurasian Economic Union – Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement toward realising the US$10 billion bilateral trade goal in 2020.
Dũng affirmed that Việt Nam welcomes Russia’s oil and gas companies to carry out exploration and exploitation activities in the country’s continental shelf in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He asked the Russian Government to facilitate Vietnamese joint ventures’ involvement in new oilfields in Russia’s territory.
The two leaders reached consensus on the need to promptly remove difficulties arising in bilateral cooperation in traditional sectors and expand bilateral engagements to new potential areas like digital economy, e-government building, infrastructure development, and aviation.
They agreed to hold the 22nd meeting of the Việt Nam – Russia Intergovernmental Committee in early October this year.
Concluding their meeting, the officials witnessed the signing of an MoU on cooperation between the Vietnamese and Russian construction ministries and another MoU between Vietjet Air and Russia’s Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) on the early opening of a direct air route between Việt Nam’s Cam Ranh city and Russia’s Vladivostok City. — VNS