President Tô Lâm (right) meets Russian Ambassador to Việt Nam G.S. Bezdetko. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — The State-level visit to Việt Nam by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 19-20 at the invitation of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam's Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng was the highest diplomatic protocol level in relations between countries, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Việt Nam G.S. Bezdetko said to the press on June 19.

Ambassador Bezdetko emphasised that the visit coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Treaty on the Basic Principles of Friendly Relations between Việt Nam and Russia (June 16, 1994-2024).

The historic document has significantly expanded the relationship between the two countries, while also laying the foundation for the development and implementation of major joint projects and initiatives in many fields, he said.

The diplomat said the treaty marked the beginning of a new phase in the development of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and created a premise for bringing Russia-Việt Nam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Diversify bilateral cooperation

Ambassador Bezdetko affirmed that the cooperative relationship between Việt Nam and Russia over the past three decades has always been expanding, dynamic and diversifying.

In 2001, the Russia-Việt Nam Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed in Hà Nội.

In 2012, the two sides’ strategic partnership was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Regular political dialogues are established at all levels, and the two sides have effective mechanisms for interaction in the fields of trade, economics, science, technology and humanities.

Direct dialogue between leaders is always an opportunity to strengthen political trust, especially in the current situation when the global political and economic context is undergoing drastic changes, according to the diplomat.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all contacts were online, Russian and Vietnamese leaders still regularly exchanged and discussed the most urgent issues on the bilateral agenda.

President Vladimir Putin has visited Việt Nam four times, including two official visits in 2001 and 2013 and two times attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits in Hà Nội and Đà Nẵng in 2006 and 2017.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam's Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng and Russian President Vladimir Putin in talks in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

In the past year, Minister of Public Security, now President Tô Lâm, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Affairs Lê Hoài Trung, Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Khắc Định, visited Russia.

The results of meetings have created a good foundation for the bilateral relations at the highest level.

The Russian official affirmed that President Putin's upcoming visit aimed to create more motivation to develop Russia-Việt Nam cooperation in many fields.

The focus will be in strengthening interactions in traditional areas such as economy and investment, science and technology, education and training, culture and tourism, and also defense and security.

Russia is willing to cooperate closely with Việt Nam in the international arena, first of all at the United Nations and in ASEAN-centred frameworks, based on the proximity or coincidence of views on key issues of global and regional agenda, promoting common approaches to solving pressing issues of the era.

The two sides uphold the basic principles of sovereignty equality, non-intervention in the internal affairs of independent nations, and lawfulness and justice in international relations.

Russia supports multi-platform cooperation strengthening the ties of leading associations in the region, first of all the Eurasian Economic Union, forming the Expanded Asia-Europe Partnership - a single open space - and mutually beneficial cooperation with the participation of all interested countries.

Ambassador Bezdetko said the group of leading emerging economies in the world, BRICS, is a promising platform for interaction with Việt Nam.

Potential for expanding cooperation

According to the Russian Ambassador, the potential to further diversify bilateral cooperation between Russia and Việt Nam is huge.

The joint work is based on the unchanging tradition of friendship, mutual assistance and mutual benefit built by the previous generations of the two countries.

It has the sole purpose, which is ensuring happiness and prosperity of the people of the two nations.

“We look forward to maintaining close and effective cooperation in areas such as energy, industrial production, science and technology, education and training, defence and security, trade and investment, as well as consistent implementation of agreements at the highest levels. We believe that further strengthening the relationship between Russia and Việt Nam will fully meet the basic interests of our two peoples," he remarked.

He said that among the key tasks that need to be resolved are ensuring peace and security in a broad sense, combating terrorism, tackling transnational crimes and drug trafficking and all existing and emerging challenges and threats.

Russia attaches great importance to efforts to cope with climate change and equitable energy transition.

The country is ready to cooperate with Việt Nam in clean energy and decarbonisation for the economy.

"Russia, as one of the world's leading countries in this field, is ready to provide Việt Nam with the most modern technologies in clean, reliable and stable electricity, first and foremost nuclear power. This is what many Asian countries choose as an alternative to traditional energy sources," said the Russian Ambassador.

With regards to education, the diplomat said that Russia has established the Alliance of Technical Universities to expand opportunities to train experts in the fields of high technology, information technology, energy and machine manufacturing.

Russia provides Việt Nam with the single largest free education quota of a thousand scholarships.

The country is delighted with the achievements of Vietnamese students graduating from Russian universities. They are working in many sectors of economics, industry, healthcare, culture and education of Việt Nam as well as holding important positions in the Party and Government. These people are the core of Russian-Vietnamese people's diplomacy.

Both in Russia and Việt Nam, educational and cultural events aim to promote the traditional values ​​of the two peoples, Russian and Vietnamese, as well as events commemorating memorable days in the two countries' history.

According to the Ambassador, people-to-people diplomacy remains one of the most important tools in the two sides' interaction, without which, in principle, it would be difficult to imagine Russia-Việt Nam relations.

The Russian diplomat affirmed that Việt Nam and Russia have a rich common history and extensive cooperation experience, across most areas.

The two countries have extensive political dialogues, highly dynamic humanitarian exchanges and similar values ​​and development orientations.

All of this is a reliable basis to further develop bilateral relations, constantly consolidating and developing the Russia-Việt Nam comprehensive strategic partnership. — VNS