HCM City eyes boosting cooperation with Russian localities

HCM City (VNA) – Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council, on February 21 hosted First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Andrey Yatskin.

Yatskin, who is also head of the council’s group for cooperation with the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), is on a working visit to Vietnam.

Le told her guest that the city is committed to promoting sound relations with foreign partners, including Russian localities. She expressed her hope that these localities will work more closely with the Vietnamese southern metropolis and accompany the city during its construction and sustainable development.

Regarding the positive results gained from recent working sessions between Yatskin and leaders of the Vietnamese National Assembly and a number of localities, Le said she believes in growing relations between Russia and Vietnam and HCM City in particular toward effectiveness and practical outcomes.

The leader suggested a series of fields potential for the HCM City-Russia cooperation, including climate change response, trade, tourism, education and training.

With the support of the Federation Council and other competent agencies of Russia, the ties between the city and Russian localities as well as its People’s Council and these localities’ legislative and elected bodies will thrive, contributing to the enhancement of the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership for mutual benefits, she affirmed.

For his part, Yatskin stated that Russia always pays attention to fostering bilateral partnership, particularly regarding their inter-parliamentary relationship.

The official said the Federation Council will do its best to strengthen relations between localities of the sides with a hope the localities will consider and sign friendly cooperation agreements to create a legal basis for their engagements.

He noted that ample room remains for further collaboration between the city and St. Petersburg of Russia, particularly in tourism and trade. Given the global complex developments, Vietnam and Russia should team up in traditional fields like tourism, science, arts, and education and new ones such as wind power and environmental protection, Yatskin added./.