State President Lương Cường (right) receives Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — State President Lương Cường received Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin and his entourage in Hà Nội on Monday.

The Russian delegation is in Việt Nam for an official visit and attendance at the 4th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the National Assembly of Việt Nam and the State Duma.

At the meeting, President Cường expressed his pleasure to welcome Chairman Volodin, affirming that the visit marks an important milestone and contributes to creating new momentum for the close and effective relationship between the two countries, which has been built and nurtured over the past 75 years.

Thanking Russia for its attention to the Vietnamese community living in the country, the President proposed that the State Duma and the Russian Government continue to provide favorable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live and work in the country, contributing to Russia’s development and bilateral relations. He also expressed hope that Russia would further facilitate Vietnamese tourism by waiving visas or simplifying visa procedures.

Emphasising that the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam always remember and appreciate the support and assistance of the Soviet people during the past struggle for national defence as well as of the Russian people in the country’s development today. Việt Nam always values and wishes to strengthen its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, he noted.

President Cường congratulated Russia on its achievements under the leadership of President Putin and praised the important role of the State Duma in law-making, contributing to Russia’s stability and sustainable development. He suggested that Chairman Volodin and the Vietnamese National Assembly continue supporting and promoting the implementation of high-level agreements, especially those reached by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and President Putin in May 2025, and between President Lương Cường and President Putin in September 3, 2025. He also called for the creation of a favourable legal framework to elevate the Việt Nam–Russia relationship to a new, more substantive and effective level across all fields.

President Cường expressed confidence that the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Russia would continue to be strengthened and developed for the benefit of both peoples and for peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.

Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin affirmed that the Russian parliament highly values the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Việt Nam, appreciated Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements, and emphasised that Russian government agencies and political parties unanimously support strengthening relations with the Southeast Asian nation. He reiterated Russia’s desire to continuously strengthen friendship and multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of both nations.

Chairman Volodin also stressed the need to further enhance the role of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and Friendship Parliamentary Groups, promote delegation exchanges, and share legislative experience and oversight practices to deepen and make parliamentary cooperation more effective and practical.

He confirmed that the State Duma would continue to support and encourage ministries, sectors, and businesses of both countries to effectively implement high-level agreements, specially those between Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and President Lương Cường with President Putin, focusing on cooperation in economy, trade, energy (including oil and gas), education and training, and other areas where both sides have strengths and potential.

During their exchange, both sides agreed to further enhance political trust, strengthen cooperation through Party, State, parliamentary, and locality-to-locality channels, and promote the implementation of specific projects and initiatives in all areas. They also committed to expanding people-to-people, cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges, expressing confidence that both countries will find effective mechanisms and solutions to remove obstacles, overcome difficulties and advance bilateral relations.

President Cường and Chairman Volodin agreed to enhance the exchange of viewpoints and closely coordinate at international organisations and multilateral forums, contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

President Cường also proposed that Russia continue to support Việt Nam’s and ASEAN’s positions regarding the East Sea, particularly in settling disputes and differences by peaceful means, based on international law, the UN Charter, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). —VNA/VNS