Mutual visits promote Vietnam-Russia partnership: official

• Russia-Vietnam relations develop fruitfully in 2017
• Russia, Vietnam seek to facilitate oil and gas cooperation

Vladimir Buianov, President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, made the evaluation in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on November 18-19.

He said PM Medvedev’s upcoming visit will provide an important booster for the implementation of agreements reached during the visit to Russia by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong last September. The visit is also a chance for the two countries to discuss new directions for their cooperation. 

Vladimir Buianov, President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association

Buianov expressed his hope that the two countries’ leaders will pay more attention to collaboration in culture and humanitarian work, which have great influence on the entire society, especially the youth. 

He noted that the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam will be held in 2019-2020, during which the two sides are scheduled to organise various activities to promote their land, history and people. 

According to him, Vietnam has affirmed itself as an equal, trustworthy partner with great potential of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. 

Regarding the direction for bilateral ties in the time ahead, Buianov said the big goal for both countries now is to double their two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2020. 

He noted that beside the stable and effective bilateral partnership in the traditional fields of energy and oil and gas, the two countries should expand their collaboration in other fields such as coal mining, railway and underground metro development. 

Buianov suggested the two sides select agreements and contracts more carefully, and roll out mechanisms to ensure their implementation in order to improve the efficiency of trade, investment and economic ties. 

The President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association stressed that leaders of the two countries had voiced their belief that Russia can establish an equal and mutually beneficial relationship with Vietnam – a trustworthy partner.