President Trần Đại Quang arrived in Moscow yesterday afternoon, starting his four-day visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

MOSCOW – President Trần Đại Quang arrived in Moscow yesterday afternoon, starting his four-day visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A welcome ceremony for the State leader was held at Vnukovo International Airport, attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, Russian Ambassador to Việt Nam Konstantin Vnukov, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyễn Thanh Sơn, among others.

President Quang’s entourage includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải, Minister of Finance Đinh Tiến Dũng, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng, Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Tuấn Anh, Minister of Education Phùng Xuân Nhạ and Minister of Information and Communication Trương Minh Tuấn.

Việt Nam and Russia have enjoyed growing ties over the years, recognizing each other’s market economies in 2017.

Their economic and trade connections have also been developing. Oil and gas co-operation projects are being implemented in both countries and bilateral trade is growing, reaching US$2.7 billion in 2016, up 25 per cent from 2015. The figure was $1.37 billion in the first five months of 2017.

A free trade agreement between Việt Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member, was signed in 2015 and took effect on October 5, 2016.

Russia currently ranks 23rd among 116 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam. Việt Nam’s investment in Russia has also increased from $100 million in 2008 to $2.4 billion currently, mostly in oil and gas, trade and agriculture.

More than 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia.

Since 1991, the two sides have signed more than 100 co-operation documents in all fields, including economy, trade, investment, oil and gas, nuclear power, education and training, culture, science and technology and defence.

All-round ties

President Trần Đại Quang and Russian leaders will discuss the two countries’ co-operation and measures to enhance ties during the Vietnamese leader’s visit. 

The information was provided by President Quang during an interview with Russia’s TASS and Sputnik news agencies ahead of the trip, his first official visit to Russia as President. 
During the visit, the President will convey the respect of the Vietnamese Party and people to President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other Russian leaders and people. He will also reiterate his country’s policy of considering Russia a trustworthy partner. 
President Quang and President Putin, along with other Russian leaders, will discuss bilateral co-operation and measures to foster ties in different areas, especially the implementation of the free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Russia is a member. 
The Vietnamese side will affirm that the country provides the best possible conditions for Russian enterprises in Việt Nam. It will also ask Russia to continue collaboration in defence, security, science-technology, education-training, culture, tourism and labour, along with locality-to-locality co-operation and to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community there. 
The sides will discuss regional and global issues of shared concern, including bilateral co-operation in APEC Year 2017 and within the framework of ASEAN-Russia co-operation. 
The President expressed delight at the growth of Viet Nam-Russia relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1950 and the formation of a strategic partnership in 2001, which was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in July 2012. 
Relations had been strengthened through regular delegation exchanges and meetings at all levels, consultations and strategic dialogues, he noted, adding that Vietnam would welcome President Putin’s attendance of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Đà Nẵng City later this year. 
President Quang said the two sides had supported each other at multilateral forums such as the UN, APEC, the Asia-Europe Meeting and ASEAN-Russia. 
Their economic and trade connections had also been developing. Oil and gas co-operation projects were being implemented in both countries and bilateral trade was growing, reaching US$2.7 billion in 2016 – up 25 per cent from 2015. The figure increased by 30 per cent to $1.1 billion in the first four months of 2017. 
The leader said he valued the fact that Viet Nam was the first country with which the EAEU inked a free trade agreement. He believed this deal would create new momentum for trade between Việt Nam and Russia, as well as between Việt Nam and the EAEU with targeted trade revenue of $10 billion by 2020. 
Cooperation in defence-security, science-technology, education-training and culture-tourism has also been tightened, according to the President. Cultural exchanges have been held regularly. Russia is one of the 10 biggest sources of foreign tourists to Việt Nam. More than 430,000 Russian tourists came to Vietnam in 2016, up 12.8 per cent from 2015. 
President Quang said the Việt Nam-Russia friendship partnership was developing soundly in all fields. Their co-operation potential remained huge. He said they should bolster co-operation and capitalise on both sides’ advantages, thus developing bilateral relations in a more effective manner. - VNS