The Russian daily newspaper Izvestia ran an article on November 11 in praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Vietnam.

According to the article, before his visit President Putin declared Vietnam to be the most important growth centre in the Asia Pacific.

Vietnam’s participation in a Free Trade Area (FTA) together with Russia, Belarus and Kazakstan will contribute to doubling bilateral trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam to 10 billion USD by 2020, the article said.

Director of the ASEAN centre under the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) Viktor Sumskyi said in its diplomatic policy, Russia considers Vietnam as an important geopolitical partner.

The two countries have cooperated effectively in many fields such as oil exploitation, mining, construction, culture and education, he stressed.

Russia set up a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam in 2012.-VNA