HCM City, Saint Petersburg strengthen bilateral relations

Hanoi (VNA) – Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Russia’s Saint Petersburg city held a teleconference on May 19 to discuss cooperation orientations, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam - Russia strategic partnership.

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasised the two peoples’ special sentiment, whose foundation was laid when President Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, set foot in the Soviet Union for the first time, in 1923, to seek ways for national salvation.

Nen affirmed that the Vietnamese people always keep in mind the Soviet Union people’s wholehearted support and assistance for Vietnam during the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as post-war reconstruction and the development of many economic sectors like hydropower, oil and gas, and other industries.

Today’s relations between Vietnam and Russia are the continuation and inheritance of the traditional friendship nurtured through many generations. In 2001, Russia was the first country in the world Vietnam had set up a strategic partnership with, and the ties were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012, he noted.

He held that the cooperation potential between HCM City and Saint Petersburg remains huge since both are “dynamic development locomotives” of their respective countries.

While HCM City is working hard to develop a smart and modern city and become an economic, financial, trade, and scientific - technological hub of Vietnam and Southeast Asia as a whole, Saint Petersburg is currently a major economic, scientific, technical, cultural, and tourism centre of Russia.

Apart from existing cooperation areas, they are considering collaboration in pharmaceutical production and cancer treatment and sharing water loss reduction technology and experience. Both are also taking steps necessary for the establishment of an economic, tourism and cultural centre of HCM City in Saint Petersburg, according to the Secretary.

Speaking at the event, Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov expressed his delight at the flourishing Russia - Vietnam cooperation, based on mutual trust and respect, which has been substantially contributed by the twin cities.

The cities have become closer and closer year by year with new cooperation areas present and economic links increasingly expanded, he remarked.

Beglov said difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are unable to hamper the cities’ enhancement of their ties, assuring that the HCM City centre for economy, tourism, and culture will be established in Saint Petersburg as soon as pandemic-triggered restriction measures are lifted.

During the teleconference, the two sides discussed a number of important cooperation issues in economy, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange./.