HANOI, June 20. /TASS/. Russia is determined to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong.

"We are firmly determined to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, which remains among the priority tracks of Russian foreign policy. We are ready to continue active joint work on a wide range of topics, including economic, scientific and technical spheres, defense, security and humanitarian relations," Putin said at a meeting in Hanoi. He thanked for the invitation to visit the country, which, he said, "everyone used with pleasure."

"Vietnam has been and remains our reliable friend and partner. Relations between our countries have been tested by time, including during the years of the Vietnamese people’s heroic battles for independence," Putin emphasized. He added that these relations were based on trust and mutual assistance, which makes it possible to solve the most difficult tasks and steadily move forward.

"It is symbolic that the timing of my visit to Vietnam coincided with a significant date - the 30th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on the basics of friendly relations, which established the legal framework for their further development," Putin pointed out.

As he dwelt on bilateral successes, Putin noted good dynamics in trade. Trade turnover was growing. It increased by more than 8% last year.

"The intergovernmental commission should work and do a great deal to consolidate this positive trend," the Russian leader said.

Cooperation in personnel training continued, Putin stressed. Over the years, Russian universities have trained about 75,000 Vietnamese specialists. In accordance with the government quota, more than 3,000 Vietnamese are now receiving education in Russia.

"Today I have a meeting with graduates of Soviet and Russian universities on my schedule. I know that among them there are many outstanding citizens of your country who have made a great contribution to strengthening Russian-Vietnamese relations and to the development of Vietnam. I remember very well how warm and friendly such an event was in 2001," Putin said.