BEIJING, October 17. /TASS/. The trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam is growing this year along with evolving humanitarian ties and cooperation on the international stage, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong.

"I regret to say that we saw a certain decline in [bilateral] trade and economic cooperation last year, but this year we are observing a certain upward revision, with the growth [in trade turnover] standing at 6.6% over the first six months of this year," Putin said.

The two countries’ intergovernmental commission is working to develop trade ties further, the Russian leader said. Putin highlighted the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, noting that the potential in this area has not yet been fully tapped.