Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always attaches great importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, considering it one of the top priorities in its foreign policy, affirmed Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.
In his opening remarks at the September 30 ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Russia and to inaugurate the Vietnam – Russia People’s Forum, the Deputy PM emphasised that Vietnam will forever remember and treasure the wholehearted support that the former Soviet Union and today’s Russian Federation have extended to the Vietnamese people during their struggle for national independence, as well as in national construction and defence at present.
He affirmed that with a strong political foundation and the determination of their high-ranking leaders, the two countries will continue to write new chapters in their relations, thereby contributing to regional and global peace and stability.
The forum, Ha noted, provides an effective dialogue mechanism to deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples. The event will also serve as a platform for various social strata, experts, intellectuals and, especially, the younger generations to put forward practical initiatives, thereby enriching the substance of bilateral relations.
Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko underlined the importance of people-to-people diplomacy in fostering mutual understanding, trust, friendship, and cooperation.
He reiterated the importance Russia attaches to people-to-people relations and highlighted the role of friendship associations in expanding multifaceted ties between the two nations. Over decades, these associations have ensured effective cooperation among leading research centres, universities, cultural and sports organisations, women’s and youth groups, trade unions, professional associations, businesses, and the media.
Do Xuan Hoang, President of the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia, highlighted the strong friendship nurtured over the past 75 years as an invaluable asset of bilateral ties. He noted that Vietnam and Russia still have significant potential for cooperation in trade, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, health care and education, which should be further tapped and translated into concrete outcomes.
The 1.5-day forum features discussions on the history and achievements of Vietnam – Russia relations, as well as prospects for cooperation in the new context. It also places emphasis on people-to-people exchanges and partnerships between localities of the two countries./.
