Русский
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has been attending the celebrations for the end of World War II in Beijing and has had the opportunity to discuss bilateral relations with other attendees, including with the Vietnamese President, Luong Cuong. This is what they had to say:
Vladimir Putin: “Mr President, friends, I am delighted to hold a bilateral meeting with you on the sidelines of these celebrations. First of all, I would like to congratulate you and the people of Vietnam on the 80th anniversary of the declaration of Vietnam’s independence, which you marked yesterday.
This year, we marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between our countries. Over these years, special relations of alliance and fraternal mutual assistance have developed between Vietnam and Russia. It is difficult to list all the spheres of our cooperation, which has been growing stronger in the past few years.
I am delighted to discuss all areas of our cooperation. Of course, I also have fond memories of the warm welcome that was extended to our delegation during our latest visit to Vietnam.”
Luong Cuong: “Mr President, I am delighted to be meeting with you in Beijing today on the occasion of a special landmark event.
I am also grateful to you for the warm feelings and greetings to the party, state and people of Vietnam on the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of Vietnam. Thank you for sending Russian troops to take part in the parade in Vietnam.
Everyone in Vietnam values highly the substantial fraternal assistance which the Soviet Union extended to us when we were fighting for our freedom and which Russia is providing to us now as we build our country.
We consistently attach great importance to our traditionally friendly relations with Russia – these are brotherly, time-honoured relations.
I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of the party and the state of Vietnam, on the great achievements Russia has made over the past period. You have overcome numerous difficulties.
We believe that under your guidance Russia will become great and will be a mainstay in defending peace, justice and stability. We believe that this will be so, and we wish you success.”
Summary
While the initial greetings were standard diplomatic speak, the two presidents had brought with them trade delegations, with Russia-Vietnam bilateral and investment trade booming. The two countries are increasingly trade intertwined, with Vietnam having a productive free trade agreement with Russia via the Eurasian Economic Union, while also being a BRICS Partner Country. Russia meanwhile is a permanent guest to the ASEAN bloc, which includes Vietnam. Russia, in turn, has been a strategic partner of the ASEAN bloc since 2018. It should be noted that the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam was signed earlier, in 2001, and in 2012, the strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam acquired comprehensive status. All these mechanisms have helped develop bilateral trade and investment, especially as Russia is looking for new markets and supply chain opportunities.
Vietnam has a population in excess of 100 million and a GDP (PPP) of US$1.76 trillion. Current GDP growth is 7.5%. According to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the country is aiming to achieve GDP growth of between 8.3% and 8.5% in 2025. Its Ho Chi Minh Port is linked directly to Vladivostok, while the country also offers access to other ASEAN markets.
Despite the challenging international situation and headwinds in the form of anti-Russia sanctions levied by the United States and other unfriendly countries, mutual trade grew by 20.2% in 2024 and continues to steadily grow.
The key areas of the comprehensive strategic partnership include cooperation in the fuel and energy sector. The joint venture Vietsovpetro has acted as its flagship for over four decades now. The Russian company Zarubezhneft and the Petrovietnam Oil and Gas Corporation are successfully developing hydrocarbon fields in Vietnam, while Rusvietpetro Company operates in the Nenets Autonomous Area of the Russian Federation with the participation of both of the above companies. Russian Gazprom, the world’s leading operator in natural gas production, also works on the Vietnamese continental shelf.
For a complete overview of Russia-Vietnam bilateral trade and investment projects, please click here.
Further Reading
