PM Pham Minh Chinh (right) receives Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko (centre) and Chairman of Novatek Leonid Mikhelson (Photo: Vietnam Government Portal) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh committed all possible favourable conditions for Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko during his tenure while receiving the diplomat in Hanoi on August 3.
PM Chinh said Vietnam considers Russia one of the top priorities in its external policy, and wants to strengthen its traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a more practical and effective manner.
He expressed his delight at the positive development of the bilateral ties with the maintenance of all-level communications via phone and online talks. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral economic links have continued growing with two-way trade reaching 2.6 billion USD in the first half of 2021, up 13 percent year on year.
On the occasion, the PM thanked Russia and Novatek group for presenting Spunik V vaccine to Vietnam.
He suggested the ambassador convey his message to Russian leaders, asking for continuing to assist Vietnam in vaccine supplies, stepping up the implementation of signed vaccine contracts so that Vietnam could soon receive them this year, as well as facilitating vaccine production technology transfer, especially COVID-19 medicine production, and other medical supplies and medicines.
PM Chinh also proposed the diplomat work closely with Vietnamese ministries and agencies and continue strengthening bilateral ties in politics, national defence-security, economy, trade, investment, science-technology, education-training, especially in basic sciences and humanity, culture, arts and sports.
Vietnam always welcomes and creates favourable conditions for foreign investors and those from Russia in particular to explore and join investment projects in line with the country's law, particularly in fields where Russia has strengths and Vietnam has demand such as infrastructure, energy, oil and gas, for the benefit of the two nations and for peace, cooperation, development in the region and the world, he said.
Bezdetko, for his part, described Vietnam as a priority partner of Russia in Asia-Pacific. He agreed with measures and orientations to promote the bilateral ties as suggested by the PM and pledged to further consolidate and tighten the bilateral relations, especially amid the complicated developments of the pandemic in both countries and the world as well.
On regional and global matters, both sides vowed to continue close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Regarding the East Sea issue, they emphasised the importance of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the region, as well as settling disputes over sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction via peaceful measures and solutions in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.
