Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh met Acting Governor of Saint Peterburg M.E. Oseevsky on the final day of his official visit to Russia.

Acting Governor Oseevsky stressed that Manh’s visit would contribute to improving cooperation between Russia and Vietnam, especially on the occasion of both countries celebrating the 60 th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

He said the Saint Petersburg administration hailed the city’s cooperation with cities and provinces of Vietnam .

The city has an institute of study for Vietnamese culture and history named after President Ho Chi Minh, he said.

During past years, Saint Petersburg set up close ties with Vietnamese localities such as Hanoi,  Ho Chi Minh City and Thanh Hoa province, and signed a series of cooperation documents.

Saint Peterburg exported energy equipment products to Vietnam and leaders of the city accepted an invitation to attend the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

General Secretary Manh said that in recent years, Russia in general and St. Petersburg in particular provided training for Vietnamese personnel.

In ties between Vietnam and Russia, cooperation between localities, particularly between Saint Peterburg and Ho Chi Minh City saw progress, he said.

He asked the Russian city’s leaders to continue encouraging their relevant agencies to promote cooperation programmes under agreements reached by both cities.

Earlier, General Secretary Manh visited Saint Petersburg Forestry Technology Institute, where he presented three friendship orders and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem presented three friendship medals to staff and lecturers of the institute for their contributions to Vietnam’s human resource training.

Later on July 12, General Secretary Manh left Saint Petersburg, ending his official visit to Russia.

He sent a message to Russian President D. Medvedev, thanking leaders and people of Russia for their warm welcome.

He expressed his belief that with the desire and resolve of both sides manifested in the Vietnam-Russia joint statement and other agreements reached by the countries’ leaders, the traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership will be lifted to a new height for the benefit of both peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in Asia-Pacific and the world./.