Mikhail Mishustin’s conversation with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam

The meeting was held as part of the state visit of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to the Russian Federation.

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin: Greetings, comrade To Lam. Welcome to the Government House of the Russian Federation.

This marks your inaugural state visit to the Russian Federation. Tomorrow, you will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin. I am confident that the agreements to be reached at the highest level will give fresh impetus to the deepening of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Vietnam.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations to you and to all the people of the republic on the occasion of Independence Day, which your country celebrated on 2 September. Our country was among the first to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. We stood side by side throughout the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people for freedom and independence, as well as during the subsequent period of peaceful reconstruction.

Vietnam is a key partner for us in the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia. We remain fully committed to further strengthening Russian-Vietnamese relations within the framework of our comprehensive strategic partnership.

The Russian Government pays particular attention to the development of trade and economic ties with Vietnam, advancing a range of joint projects across energy, transport, industry, agriculture, the digital economy, and high technology.

Our Intergovernmental Commission is actively advancing this agenda. On the Russian side, it is chaired by my deputy, Dmitry Chernyshenko. The forthcoming session of the Commission is scheduled to take place in November this year in Hanoi.

We are likewise reinforcing interaction between the Russian and Vietnamese regions. It is imperative to secure favourable conditions for the launch of new joint initiatives.

I would further highlight the significance of our academic ties. We are consistently fostering ties in science and education. A major event this year was the third Rectors' Forum, held in May in Hanoi, which convened representatives from over 100 universities in both Russia and Vietnam.

Considerable potential exists in the tourism sector. The number of Russian tourists travelling to Vietnam continues to grow each year, and similarly, the flow of Vietnamese citizens visiting our country is on the rise.

The network of air routes is steadily expanding, linking an increasing number of cities across Russia and Vietnam. Naturally, all these developments serve to strengthen ties between our peoples and to create new avenues for partnership.

Comrade To Lam, I am now ready to discuss key matters concerning cooperation between Russia and Vietnam. It is my privilege to invite you to take the floor.

To Lam (via interpreter): Comrade Prime Minister, it is a pleasure to visit Russia once again on a state visit and to hold discussions with you. On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, I would like to sincerely thank you and our Russian friends for the warmth, cordiality and solemnity with which we have been received.

Permit me to offer my congratulations on the outstanding achievements Russia has realised recently. I would especially acknowledge the sustained and dynamic socioeconomic progress in the face of numerous challenges, the strengthening of self-sufficiency and resilience in your economy, and the strong momentum underpinning the development of science and technology, the aerospace sector, and digital transformation. I profoundly appreciate the vital role played by the Russian Government and your personal contribution in ensuring stability and establishing a strong foundation for the nation's long-term prosperity.

Vietnam firmly supports the steady and vigorous development of Russia and its growing significance within the regional and global landscape.

Recently, the relations of traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia have made very positive progress. Exchanges of visits and contacts between our ministries and agencies are maintained at a high frequency, reaffirming our strong resolve to comprehensively renew areas of cooperation in the period ahead.

Our two governments have demonstrated close and resolute coordination in implementing measures designed to overcome present obstacles and enhance effectiveness.

Both parties are actively implementing major projects in nuclear energy, the power industry, and the oil and gas sector. Cooperation in science and technology, education, and cultural and academic exchanges is continuously advancing, yielding tangible results.

As stipulated in our strategic development goals, by 2030, Vietnam aspires to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income, and by 2045 - a developed country.

We are making every effort to advance our country's development. We recognise the pace of this development and wish to achieve these aims together with our close friends. You are an exceptionally important partner for us, capable of supporting us as we update our national development model for a new era.