Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Trần Đức Thắng meets Governor of Saint Petersburg Aleksander Beglov on Thursday during a high-level work trip to Russia. —. VNA/VNS Photos Tâm Hằng

MOSCOW — An inter-agency delegation led by Politburo member and Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Trần Đức Thắng has held meetings with officials in Moscow and Saint Petersburg to discuss railway and urban railway development and expand cooperation between Hà Nội and Russian localities.

Meeting with Russian State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport Dmitry Zverev and leaders of Russian Railways (RZD) in Moscow on Thursday, Thắng affirmed that Việt Nam always values the support and valuable experience of Russian partners in national construction and development.

He noted that Russia has advanced technologies and expertise in transport, while Hà Nội and HCM City -  Việt Nam's two special cities and economic locomotives - are prioritising the development of urban transport, urban railways and smart infrastructure, offering significant potential for expanded cooperation.

Thắng said that Hà Nội has approved a 100-year master plan envisioning a smart city, underground space, and low- and high-altitude economy, while investing in urban railway lines and inter-regional transport links.

Against this backdrop, Hà Nội hopes that Russia's Ministry of Transport and partners will share experience in policymaking and technical standards for urban railways and underground infrastructure, and support design, technology integration, training and technology transfer. The city also invited Russian businesses to explore investment in metro projects under Hà Nội's transport development plan to 2030, with a vision to 2050.

Hà Nội also proposed studying flexible investment models suited to local needs and conditions, while enhancing expert exchanges and sharing experience in metro construction, management and operation. The two sides were encouraged to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data in traffic management and regulation to help ease congestion.

Hà Nội is also interested in designing underground structures and stations as architectural landmarks reflecting the city's cultural and historical identity, integrating technologies across metro lines, developing a centralised control centre and forming consortia to implement urban railway projects, said the official.

Regarding HCM City, Thắng called on Russia to work with Vietnamese authorities to study investment in, and supply equipment and technologies for, key metro projects. Hà Nội and HCM City are ready to facilitate the participation of Russian businesses and experts in transport infrastructure projects in Việt Nam.

At a meeting with leaders of RZD, Thắng said Việt Nam considers railway development a priority transport sector, aimed at efficiently combining different modes of transport to meet demand for large-volume, fast, safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport while strengthening domestic and international connectivity.

Hà Nội seeks cooperation with Russia in investment, policy consultancy, development of technical standards for urban railway networks connected with the national railway system, and railway management and operation. The city also hopes to benefit from Russian experience, technology transfer and human resource training, he added.

On Friday, in St. Petersburg, the delegation met with Governor Alexander Beglov, who affirmed that St. Petersburg remains among the leading Russian cities in promoting Russia-Việt Nam relations and stands ready to share experience with Vietnamese localities.

The Vietnamese delegation has a working session with Saint Petersburg's authorities on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Tâm Hằng

St. Petersburg welcomed Hà Nội as its fifth sister city in Việt Nam, following HCM City, Hải Phòng, Khánh Hòa and Điện Biên. A cooperation agreement between St. Petersburg and Hà Nội, signed in May 2025, covers economic, trade, tourism, education, healthcare, sports and cultural cooperation, while promoting investment projects, business connections and joint promotional activities.

Notably, St. Petersburg expressed its interest in expanding cooperation with Hà Nội in urban railways. The city has extensive experience in building metro systems under complex geological conditions, with an underground network whose average depth is among the greatest in the world. The St. Petersburg Metro, which began operation in 1955, continues to expand while adopting new technologies in construction, operation and ticketing.

The discussions in Moscow and St. Petersburg highlighted urban railways as a promising area of cooperation between Hà Nội and Russian partners. With growing demand for metro networks, underground infrastructure and smart transport, Hà Nội has more opportunities to access the experience, technologies and implementation models of Russian localities and specialised companies.

Thắng affirmed that Hà Nội's specialised agencies will continue coordinating with Russian counterparts to implement the agreements reached and promote cooperation based on each side's needs and strengths.

During their stay in Russia, the delegation is scheduled to hold additional meetings with leaders of relevant agencies and major businesses in St. Petersburg and Moscow from August 15 to 17. — VNA/VNS