Hanoi (VNA) – Russia pays special attention to the development ofcomprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, its long-standing andreliable friend in the region, according to Russian Ambassador to VietnamKonstantin V. Vnukov.
“In world history, it isdifficult to find examples when people so diverse in terms of language,culture, customs and traditions that are so spiritually close to each other.That is why even the profound changes in the international situation in thelast decades could not shake the mutual interest in our all-round bilateralcooperation with Vietnam,” he said in an article written on the occasion ofRussia’s National Day on June 12.
According to the diplomat, one of the most important events for Russia recentlywas the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which comprisesRussia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
He said he was very pleased with Vietnam being the first nation that signs afree trade agreement with the EAEU.
He went on to say that one of the main foreign relations tasks of Russia is todevelop ties with ASEAN member countries, with priority given to consolidatingrelations with Vietnam. The twocountries are maintaining regular political dialogue and coordinating with eachother at multilateral organisations, especially the United Nations.
The coordination of action between the two countries has been stepped up invarious fields ranging from energy to defnece, security and culture, he stated.
Two-way trade is maintained at a high level while the Russian Government hasgranted the largest number of scholarships for Vietnamese students at Russianuniversities, with 953 scholarships this year.
In recent years, relations between the twocountries’ localities have been strengthened, the ambassador said, adding Vietnam has become an attractive destination for Russian tourists, with 430,000Russians visiting the Southeast Asian country last year.
He expressed his belief that the development of relations between Russia and Vietnamis, and will remain in future, an important factor of maintaining security andstability in the Asia Pacific.-VNA