Vietnam and Russia aim for a significant transformation in economic and trade cooperation.

General Secretary and President To Lam met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on September 8-9 - Photo: Russian Government During his state visit to Russia, on August 8-9 in Moscow, General Secretary and President To Lam met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of "friendship, sincerity, and trust," according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs . Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed confidence that this visit by the General Secretary and President would create a turning point in bilateral cooperation in the coming period. There is ample room for cooperation in economics , trade, and investment. During the meeting, both sides highly appreciated the progress in bilateral relations across various areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, science and technology, education and training, people-to-people exchanges, and tourism cooperation. Particularly in recent times, the difficulties and obstacles previously raised by leaders of both sides have all been addressed and improved. Based on that, both sides agreed to continue to effectively utilize existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and to explore the establishment of new cooperation mechanisms and specialized working groups in various fields. General Secretary and President To Lam speaks at the meeting - Photo: Russian Government General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin agreed on the need for stronger progress in economic and trade cooperation, noting that the two economies have many potentials and strengths that complement each other. Both sides agreed to encourage and facilitate businesses from both countries to conduct business and invest, as well as to promote business connections. The General Secretary and President suggested that bilateral investment should be promoted more strongly in a balanced manner. Following the success of TH Group, Vietnam encourages businesses to invest in agriculture in Russia and encourages Russian businesses to invest in industry in Vietnam. To enhance the effectiveness of economic and trade cooperation, the General Secretary and President requested the Russian Government to direct relevant ministries and agencies to continue reviewing and resolving difficulties and obstacles in economic, trade, and investment cooperation. In addition, there are appropriate solutions to issues related to tariffs, quotas, transportation, logistics, and market access, increasing Vietnam's trade presence in Russia. Stating that Vietnam was the first country in the world to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Russia is a member, the General Secretary and President also requested that Russia use its voice to encourage EAEU countries to open their markets, remove trade barriers, and abolish the trade protection mechanism targeting Vietnamese goods. Promoting strategic connectivity and expanding energy cooperation. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin speaks at the meeting - Photo: Russian Government Emphasizing the importance of strengthening transport and logistics connectivity for expanding bilateral trade, the Russian Prime Minister suggested that both sides should explore solutions to improve the efficiency of sea, rail, and multimodal transport, thereby forming stable supply chains and facilitating the exchange of goods between the two countries. General Secretary and President To Lam agreed that both sides need to create new strategic connections through cooperation in the field of transportation, especially rail, sea, and air. Regarding cooperation in energy and oil and gas, both sides highly appreciated the effectiveness of oil and gas cooperation projects between the two countries, considering them vivid examples of the effectiveness of Vietnam-Russia cooperation. Russia wishes to continue developing cooperation with Vietnam in the energy sector, not only in traditional areas but also exploring expansion into new areas that suit the needs and development orientations of each country. Also at the meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin agreed that science and technology is a field with great potential to become a new driving force for bilateral relations, and that cooperation in this field needs to be further enhanced. Both sides agreed to explore expanding cooperation into areas such as new energy and biomedical technology. A view of the meeting between General Secretary and President To Lam and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin - Photo: Russian Government The General Secretary and President proposed leveraging Russia's strengths in basic science, engineering, and technology, linking them to Vietnam's rapid and sustainable development needs. He also requested Russia's support in training high-quality human resources in fields where Russia has strengths and Vietnam has needs. Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, thereby helping the younger generation gain a deeper understanding of the history and traditions of bilateral relations. Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed his confidence that the State visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to Russia and the talks between General Secretary and President To Lam and President Vladimir Putin would create strong momentum and define important strategic directions for Vietnam-Russia relations in the new phase. He affirmed that the Russian government would cooperate closely with the Vietnamese government to concretize and effectively implement the agreements reached at the highest level, translating political orientation into concrete cooperation programs, projects, and results. On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam respectfully conveyed Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's invitation to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to visit Vietnam at a suitable time. Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-va-nga-huong-toi-chuyen-bien-manh-me-hop-tac-kinh-te-thuong-mai-100260908231004381.htm