HANOI, June 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Vietnam resulted in the signing of almost a dozen documents. Among other things, the two leaders issued a statement on "On further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership in the context of the 30th anniversary of the implementation of the Russian-Vietnamese Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations."
Putin thanked his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam for the warm welcome and invited him to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in Moscow next year.
TASS has gathered the key facts about agreements signed between the two countries and key statements by the two leaders following their talks.
Energy cooperation
Joint ventures in the oil and gas sphere have been fruitful, Putin said, referring to the activity of Vietsovpetro on the Vietnamese continental shelf and Rusvietpetro in northern Russia’s Nenets Autonomous District. Russia is ready to establish "long-term direct supplies" of hydrocarbons, including LNG to Vietnam, he added.
Zarubezhneft obtained a license to develop Block 11.2 on Vietnam’s continental shelf, while Novatek signed a memorandum on cooperation with Petrovietnam.
The RusHydro hydroelectric power generation company intends to help expand the capacity of hydroelectric power stations on Vietnamese rivers. According to the Russian president, "a joint Russian-Vietnamese project to build a 1,000 MW offshore wind power plant in the province of Binh Thuan has been added to" the general plan for the development of Vietnam’s national power grid.
Cooperation in nuclear sphere, investment, education
Russia and Vietnam signed a document on cooperation in the sphere of higher education as well as agreements between Russian and Vietnamese universities, including Russia’s Higher School of Economics (HSE) and Vietnam National University.
Peaceful nuclear energy is another promising area for bilateral cooperation, the Russian president said. Memorandums on the schedule of the construction of a Center of Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam, involving Russia’s state-run nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, and on cooperation in developing infrastructure in labs to fight epidemics were inked.
Russia and Vietnam also agreed to establish cooperation between the justice ministries, as well as tax and customs agencies.
Trade and settlements
The Russian president pointed to a "positive trend" in bilateral economic cooperation. In January-March, trade between Russia and Vietnam increased by one third from the first three months of last year.
"Last year, transactions in the Russian ruble and the Vietnamese dong accounted for over 40% of bilateral commercial deals. And the volume grew to almost 60% in the first quarter," Putin said as he noted the need to transition to national currencies in bilateral trade.
Ties in field of culture, tourism
Moscow and Hanoi have been successfully increasing cooperation in the sphere of culture, and Vietnam has been a popular destination among Russian tourists. "Tourist exchanges have been growing, and Russian holidaymakers have frequented Vietnamese resorts," the Russian president maintained.
Expanding food supplies
Russia and Vietnam have been working together more actively in agriculture as they expand food supplies. Vietnam’s TH Group is building dairy factories in several Russian regions, and the first line of a livestock complex with 6,000 dairy cattle was built in the Moscow Region last year, the Russian president said.
Security architecture in Asia-Pacific
Both sides voiced their support for building a "reliable and adequate security architecture based on the principles of the non-use of force and a peaceful settlement of disputes, in which there will be no place for selective military-political blocs," Putin said.
International issues
The Russian president and his Vietnamese counterpart also discussed international issues. Putin believes that the positions of Russia and Vietnam are mostly close or coincide. The two countries "firmly defend the principles of the supremacy of international law, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, as well as efforts at key international venues," including the UN and as part of the Russia-ASEAN dialogue.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to work together "to find ways to overcome difficulties caused by the situation globally." Putin described Vietnam as one of Russia’s most reliable partners, longstanding relations with which have stood the test of time.
In turn, To Lam said that Russia and Vietnam decided to refrain from signing any agreements that could damage the two countries’ independence and sovereignty with third nations.
Cooperation in defense
Moscow and Hanoi resolved to boost bilateral cooperation in defense and security and jointly fight any challenges, new and old, To Lam underscored. The two sides stand for ensuring peace in the South China Sea, providing for maritime safety and resolving conflicts peacefully, the president added.