Vietnamese officials are joining top economists and lawyers from around the globe at the fifth International Legal Forum in Russia to discuss the role of law in an era of change.

The Vietnamese delegation was headed by Deputy Judge of the Supreme People’s Court Tong Anh Hao and Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in St Petersburg on May 27, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested countries create new legal structures to ensure the smooth operation of the legal system.

The PM also spoke of the complexity of cyber issues in the light of today’s rapid technological changes, saying legal regulations in the field need to guarantee freedom of information exchange and data security alike.

Formed in 2011, the annual St Petersburg International Legal Forum is one of the most important law events in the world, creating a major platform for dialogue between politicians, lawyers, economists and researchers.

This year’s event comprises over 50 discussion sessions with a focus on international trade, law and business, investment and finance, among other issues.

On the sidelines of the forum, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc met with his Russian counterpart Maksim A. Travnhikov to discuss enhancing the judicial cooperation between Vietnam and Russia , especially in the field of human resources training.

The two deputy ministers signed a cooperation programme for the 2015-2017 period.

Deputy Minister Ngoc also attended a meeting with the President of the Russian Bar Association, Veniamin Yakovlev, during which they agreed on judicial cooperation.

Vietnam will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasia Economic Union between Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in late May.-VNA