Putin Thanks Vietnam for Warm Welcome, Conveys Wishes of Well-Being to Vietnamese People
HANOI (Sputnik) - On Wednesday, Putin arrived in Vietnam for a two-day state visit. In Hanoi, the Russian president is scheduled to hold meetings with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Parliament President Tran Thanh Man.
SputnikRussian President Vladimir Putin thanked the leadership of
Vietnam on Thursday for the warm welcome and conveyed wishes of well-being to the Vietnamese people.
"First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, you, Comrade To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and all Vietnamese friends for organizing our state visit, for the hospitality, warm welcome," Putin said following talks with Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the high-ranking meeting, the two countries discussed a number of topics, with one of them being the development of dialogue between Russia and the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN).Putin said that his country attaches great importance to cooperation with the association, of which Vietnam is one of the leading members.
"We coordinate our actions in the international arena. Russia attaches great importance to the development of dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Vietnam is one of the leading members," Putin said at talks with Vietnamese President To Lam.
Vietnam, in turn, noted that it stands for equal and indivisible security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region based on international law.
"We also stand for equal indivisible architecture of security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region with the central role of ASEAN, based also on international law," To Lam said following talks with Putin.
Russia-Vietnam: Development of Strategic Partnership
One of the most important topics of the negotiations was the development of relations between the two countries in the fields of political ties, trade, security, and energy.
The Russian leader emphasized that strengthening a comprehensive
strategic partnership with Vietnam is among Russia's priorities.
Furthermore, the two nations maintain regular and meaningful political contacts, including through parliaments, ministries, and departments, the president said.
"Last year, [bilateral] trade grew by 8%. The intergovernmental commission on both sides is working closely on this. The growth of trade, of course, is facilitated by the implementation of the 2015 free trade agreement between the EAEU [Eurasian Economic Union] and Vietnam," the president stated.
Putin added that trade between Russia and Vietnam in January-March of this year increased by 33% compared to the same period last year.
Talking about commerce, the Russian leader noted that mutual supplies of
agricultural products from Russia and Vietnam are growing.
"Bilateral partnership in agriculture is developing. Mutual supplies of agricultural products are growing; their range is expanding," Putin told reporters after talks with Vietnamese President To Lam.
Vietnamese President Lam said that Vietnam valued Russia's support in the nation's
struggle for independence and attached great importance to the development of a bilateral strategic partnership, adding that Hanoi considered relations with Moscow one of its foreign policy priorities.
"Vietnam pursues an independent, peaceful foreign policy as well as a diversified and multi-vector policy, but at the same time we attach great importance to the development of traditional friendship with Russia and comprehensive strategic partnership and consider Russia one of Vietnam's foreign policy priorities," Lam stated.
Vietnam gratefully remembers the "selfless help and support" that the Russian people provided to Vietnam in the Asian country's struggle for independence, the Vietnamese leader added.
At the same time, the Russian leader noted that the positions of Russia and Vietnam on the international agenda regularly coincide.
"Naturally, we considered a number of issues on the regional agenda, and relevant international topics were also touched upon. I would like to emphasize that the positions of Russia and Vietnam on them largely coincide or are close," Putin said.
Talking about international relations, Lam also said that Russia's position and authority are steadily growing in the international arena.
"Vietnam congratulates Russia on gaining important achievements ... We are very glad that political and social stability in Russia is strengthening, the economy is actively developing, the people's lives are improving, and Russia's position and authority are steadily growing in the international arena," Lam said.
Furthermore, Vietnam always considers Russia a priority in its foreign policy, he added.
"Vietnam always considers Russia as one of its foreign policy priorities. We wish, together with Russia, to develop traditionally friendly relations that have been built by many generations, by the leaders of our two countries," Lam told reporters.
Importantly, To Lam also stated that Vietnam and Russia agreed not to enter into alliances directed against each other.
"[Vietnam and Russia agreed not to] enter into alliances and treaties with third countries in order to harm each other’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," To Lam said, adding that they also agreed on "the main guidelines and principles for further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership."
The countries have also agreed to increase the number of regular contacts through governments, parties, parliaments, and various departments, the president added.
The parties also discussed interactions in the security field. Russia and Vietnam will strengthen defense and security cooperation, Vietnamese President To Lam said.
"We will increase cooperation in the field of defense and security," he stated.
The leaders also paid attention to the issue of
trading in local currencies. Putin said that it is important that Russia and Vietnam are consistently switching to payments in national currencies.
"It is equally important that our countries are consistently switching to national currencies in mutual financial settlements, striving to build sustainable channels of credit and banking cooperation," Putin told reporters after talks with Vietnamese President To Lam.
Aside from that, Putin commented on
transportation endeavors, saying that the development of the Vladivostok-Ho Chi Minh City maritime transport corridor is a promising cooperation project.
"Cooperation on a large-scale infrastructure project, the Vladivostok-Ho Chi Minh maritime transport corridor, seems promising," he stated.
Energy Sector Initiatives
Russia and Vietnam have agreed to increase bilateral investments as well as strengthen cooperation in the energy sector, the Vietnamese president revealed.
"Economic cooperation is one of the most important pillars of our partnership ... We will increase trade, bilateral investments, and also improve the efficiency of projects in the energy and gas sectors in order to create favorable conditions for the work of our companies," To Lam said.
Putin, in turn, noted that Russia and Vietnam have good opportunities for renewable energy cooperation.
"There are good prospects for cooperation in the renewable energy sector. In particular, a joint Russian-Vietnamese project for the construction of an offshore wind power generation in Binh Thuan province with a capacity of one thousand megawatts has already been included in the master plan for the development of Vietnam's national energy system," he stated.
Moreover, Russia is ready to establish long-term direct supplies of hydrocarbons, including
LNG, to Vietnam.
"Joint ventures are working effectively, primarily in the energy sector... We are ready to establish long-term direct supplies of hydrocarbons to Vietnam, including LNG," Putin said at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
With the assistance of Russia, many power generation facilities were built in Vietnam, the Russian president said.
"We are interested in new projects, participation in the modernization of existing hydroelectric power plants," Putin added.
The
talks culminated in the adoption of a joint statement on the further deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
"The joint statement of the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership in the context of the 30th anniversary of the implementation of the Russian-Vietnamese Treaty on the Foundation of Friendly Relations," one of the items in the list of the accepted and signed documents during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin read.
Overall, Putin highlighted that relations between Russia and Vietnam are developing in the spirit of mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests.
"Russia puts a premium on further strengthening the traditionally friendly Russian-Vietnamese comprehensive strategic relations and strategic partnership relations. And these relations continue to develop steadily in the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and consideration of each other's interests," Putin said.
The Vietnamese president has also expressed confidence in the successful development of relations between the countries in the future.