HANOI, October 24. /TASS/. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh described energy and oil-gas cooperation as "an important pillar of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership" while meeting with Russian Minister of Energy Sergey Tsivilev on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

According to him, regular exchanges of delegations at all levels and through all channels contribute to strengthening the political foundation, allowing ministries, departments, enterprises and localities of the two countries to expand cooperation covering energy, oil and gas, the agency said.

Pham Minh Trinh called on the head of the Russian Energy Ministry to continue "supporting bilateral energy and oil and gas cooperation, working to facilitate the activities of Vietnamese and Russian enterprises in each other's territories, and supporting the resumption and expansion of cooperation in training personnel for Vietnam in the energy and oil and gas industries."

The Prime Minister suggested that both sides develop cooperation in other areas, such as digital and green transformation. Cooperation in oil, gas and energy "is a symbol of close and effective interaction between the two countries, making a positive contribution to the development of each," Pham Minh Trinh said at a meeting with Sergey Kudryashov, CEO of the Russian company Zarubezhneft. Having highly appreciated the results of cooperation between Zarubezhneft and the Vietnamese state oil and gas group Petrovietnam over the past four decades, the Prime Minister stressed that "the government of Vietnam always supports the businesses of both countries in expanding cooperation in accordance with the laws of their countries, the Vietnamese-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership and the interests of the Vietnamese and Russian peoples," VNA noted.