An overview of the meeting between Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Đặng Minh Khôi. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has proposed that Russia and Việt Nam expand cooperation in new and promising areas to create fresh momentum for sustainable bilateral growth.

At a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Đặng Minh Khôi on Wednesday, Chernyshenko affirmed that Việt Nam is one of Russia’s leading partners in Southeast Asia.

He highlighted the two countries’ long-standing friendship, close ties and high level of political trust, which have continued to grow on the foundation of the Việt Nam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Deputy PM also welcomed substantive progress in bilateral relations, noting that 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between Việt Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

He said the agreement had proved effective and made an important contribution to the growth of bilateral trade.

A highlight of the discussions was the tourism sector’s remarkable recovery and strong growth. The number of Russian visitors to Việt Nam has nearly doubled. Việt Nam welcomed 690,000 Russian tourists last year, while the figure reached 863,000 in the first half of this year alone.

The two sides said the figures clearly reflected the growing appeal of Việt Nam as a destination for Russian tourists.

Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese tourists travelling to Russia has also recorded impressive growth.

The strong recovery in tourism has been supported by joint efforts to improve air connectivity. The two sides are currently operating 31 flights on 15 routes connecting a number of cities, creating a foundation for further expansion of the air network.

Khôi stressed that the Việt Nam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to develop positively across all fields.

He affirmed that Việt Nam attaches great importance to its relations with Russia and wishes to further promote practical and effective cooperation, not only in traditional areas such as politics, energy and oil and gas, but also in science, education, culture, sports and tourism.

Such efforts would help deepen bilateral ties and bring practical benefits to the peoples of both countries, he said. — VNA/VNS