KAZAN — National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân met with President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov yesterday as part of her official trip to Russia.

Minnikhanov said he welcomed the top Vietnamese legislator and the NA delegation and appreciated her visit, especially given how political and diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and Russia were growing strongly on all fronts.

The Tatarstan leader noted that while economic, commerce and investment co-operation between the two sides were developing well, but the bilateral trade value reaching only US$25 million means that there was still a lot of room for improvements to match the potential of the two sides expectations.

Kazan, the capital city of Tatarstan, is a centre for machinery manufacturing, chemical and oil products, light industry and food processing in the Volga economic region, Rustam said, stressing that these were fields that Tatarstan was seeking co-operation opportunities with the Vietnamese side.

He also said the Russian Republic also wished to share its experience on building IT parks with Việt Nam.

Recalling his visit to Hà Nội in 2014 and HCM City in 2017, the Tatarstan President also pledged to provide all necessary conditions for Tatarstan and Kazan businesses to forge co-operation with Việt Nam.

For her part, the Vietnamese legislator expressed her delight at experiencing Kazan City and its ‘masterful architecture’, with cultural influences from Christianity, Islam, Russia and Tatar.

She also lauded the achievements of Tatarstan as one of Russia's most developed and industrialised regions.

NA Chairwoman Ngân said Việt Nam always cherished its comprehensive relations with the Russia Federation, considering the country one of its top priorities in foreign policy.

The NA supported the deepening of relations between the two countries and was ready to co-ordinate with the Government to resolve bottlenecks and difficulties in their bilateral relations.

Currently, there are about 1,000 Vietnamese people living in Kazan City, Ngân said.

The NA Chair said she hoped the president and the city’s authorities would continue supporting the Vietnamese community there and facilitate their businesses, promoting their role as a bridge to enhance ties between Kazan and Vietnamese localities, as well as bilateral ties between Russia and Việt Nam. — VNS