Vietnamese Minister of Justice Hoàng Thanh Tùng had a meeting with Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko on Wednesday in Moscow. — VNA/VNS Photo

MOSCOW — Vietnamese Minister of Justice Hoàng Thanh Tùng had a meeting with Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko on Wednesday to discuss concrete measures for implementing cooperation agreements signed between the two ministries.

At the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the 14th Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum in Russia, Chuychenko noted that Russia’s decision to invite Việt Nam as the forum’s sole guest country reflected recognition of Việt Nam’s growing role in shaping the contemporary international legal landscape. He described cooperation between the two justice ministries as a model for bilateral relations, built on the legal assistance treaty covering civil and criminal matters.

The Russian minister highlighted that since 2010, the two sides have maintained a range of cooperative activities, including joint seminars, training programmes and professional exchanges. He added that significant potential remains for expansion of cooperation, particularly amid increasingly complex global developments.

For his part, Tùng said Việt Nam highly valued the invitation to attend the forum as the only guest country, describing it as evidence of the trust and close ties underpinning the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

The Vietnamese minister underscored the achievements of the Việt Nam–Russia Joint Working Group on Law and Justice, established in 2015 under the bilateral cooperation agreement. He noted that it remains the only in-depth legal cooperation mechanism the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice maintains with a foreign partner.

Looking ahead, the Vietnamese side proposed that the two ministries implement the 2010 cooperation agreement and the 2025–2026 cooperation programme, while working toward the signing of a new framework for the next phase of collaboration.

According to Tùng, the two ministries need to further strengthen activities of the Việt Nam-Russia joint working group, with a focus on professional knowledge-sharing and legal education cooperation. He encouraged expanded opportunities for Vietnamese students to study at Russian law schools, helping meet Việt Nam’s growing demand for high-quality legal professionals. The Russian side expressed full support for these proposals.

Earlier, the two ministers jointly inaugurated the Việt Nam Pavilion, a highlight of the 14th Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum. The pavilion showcased key milestones of Việt Nam’s justice system, alongside distinctive cultural features that attracted strong interest from forum participants, fostering both academic exchanges and goodwill toward the Southeast Asian nation. — VNA/VNS