HANOI, December 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Vietnam is ready to be a bridge of cooperation linking Russia with South East Asia. Hanoi also wants Moscow to help it expand relations with European countries, said Nguyen Sinh Hung, the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, receiving on Monday First Deputy Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Ivan Melnikov, who arrived in Vietnam on an official visit.

“Vietnam attaches much importance to the strengthening and further development of traditional friendship and all-round cooperation with Russia,” the chairman of Vietnam’s National Assembly said. He said cooperation of parliaments of Vietnam and Russia makes important contribution to the development of the entire complex of relations between Hanoi and Moscow.

Hguyen Sinh Hung spoke highly of the present state of Vietnamese-Russian ties. “Relations of friendship, solidarity and comprehensive strategic partnership between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation develop successfully, which promotes the broadening of effective interaction between parliaments of the two countries,” he said.

The first deputy speaker of the State Duma, in his turn, noted that much importance is attached in Russia to the implementation of partnership agreements with Vietnam. Melnikov believes that the sides should continue increasing the pace of development of cooperation, which will help strengthen and advance traditional friendly relations between Russia and Vietnam.