National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin. Photo: NDO

Russia is one of the most important and priority partners in Vietnam's foreign policy, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue told First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin, who is leading a delegation of the council to visit Vietnam, VNA reported.

During his reception for the Russian guest in Hanoi, NA Chairman Hue emphasised that the Russian delegation’s visit is of great significance as the two countries have marked 10 years of the the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2012 - 2022), and are preparing for the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's arrival in Russia (1923 - 2023).

The Vietnamese NA wishes to continue substantive and effective cooperation with Russia in various fields, for the mutual benefits of the two peoples, and for peace, stability and development in the region and in the world, Hue said.

NA Chairman Hue expressed his pleasure at the strong development of the bilateral relations with high confidence, saying that in the parliamentary cooperation channel, the two sides have maintained high-level meetings even when the Covid-19 developed complicatedly.

The two countries have been also maintaining meetings and mutual support at multilateral cooperation mechanisms, he said, adding that Vietnam thanked Russia for supporting its candidacy for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2023 -2025 term.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (the fourth from the right) takes a photo with Russian delegates at the reception. Photo: VNA

Vietnam supports Russia to play an active and constructive role in the region and the world, he stressed, affirming that as an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam is willing to act as a bridge to promote cooperation between Russia and other ASEAN member countries.

He spoke highly of outcomes of the talks between NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh and Yatskin on the same day, saying that the results are a basis for the two sides to continue strengthening their legislative relations.

Host and guest agreed that the two sides will discuss and finalise a draft to renew the cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council.

Sharing Hue’s opinion on the full implementation of the joint statement on the vision of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to 2030 signed in 2021, Yatskin affirmed that Russia is ready to coordinate with Vietnam in implementing the joint statement.

Both host and guest stressed that the two sides need to expand economic, trade and investment cooperation in a practical and effective manner, especially in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food.

The two sides should consider resuming air routes to boost tourism cooperation, people-to-people exhange, and economic ties, thus meeting requirements of investors, businesses and citizens of the two countries, they said.

The Vietnamese top legislator suggested the two countries step up bilateral cooperation in the fields of oil, gas and energy, saying that Vietnam welcomes oil and gas enterprises to strengthen cooperation and engage in offshore wind and gas power projects in Vietnam.

He called on the Russian parliament and government to continue supporting activities of Russian oil and gas enterprises in Vietnam in accordance with international law.

Regarding education cooperation, NA Chairman Hue thanked the Russian side for helping Vietnam train a large number of students and officials, and providing 1,000 scholarships for Vietnam per year.

He hoped the two sides will continue to boost cooperation in science and technology with joint cooperation projects, especially in terms of marine scientific research.

Receiving a letter of Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia handed over by Yatskin, NA Chairman Hue thanked and accepted the iniviation to visit Russia from Speaker Matvienko, conveyed an invitation to Matvienko to pay an official visit to Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien (R) receives First Deputy Speaker of Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin. Photo: VNA

Previous, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien received the delegation led by Yatskin.

During the meeting, Chien said Vietnam hopes that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will be further promoted and achieve more good results, he added.

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) strongly supports the close and friendly cooperation in many aspects between the two nations’ legislatures, and the party will create the most favourable conditions for the two sides to fulfill their commitments and cooperation agreements, Chien affirmed.

He expressed his belief that both nations will have effective solutions to solve difficulties and meet each side’s wishes.

Cooperation between Vietnamese and Russian localities is also a basis for the two sides to tap potential and strengths to achieve practical results, he noted.

For his part, Yatskin spoke highly of the political position and leadership role of the CPV for the country's development; and Vietnam's foreign policy, including enhancing relations with the former Soviet Union, and Russia today.

The well-developed relationship between the CPV and major Russian political parties shows that the Vietnamese party’s foreign policy, the relationship of the Vietnamese Party and State with Russia is widely supported by political parties in Russia, he stressed.

Yatskin said in his talks with Vietnamese NA Vice Chairman and President of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Khac Dinh, the two sides discussed and agreed on measures to promote cooperation between the two legislative bodies and between the two friendship parliamentarians’ groups. They include promoting exchange of delegations, strengthen coordination in supervising and urging the effective implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments.

He affirmed that the delegation’s visit to Vietnam shows the importance Russia places on the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and his country’s support for the central role of ASEAN in the region.

The guest thanked Vietnam for its contributions to promoting the ASEAN - Russia relations in recent years.

He took the occasion to suggest the CPV continue to support and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership in general, and cooperation projects in various fields between the two countries in particular.

The same day, NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, held talks with Yatskin, who is head of the Russian Federation Council’s group for cooperation with the NA of Vietnam.

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