Russian news agencies ITAR-TASS and RIA-Novosti are highlighting the upcoming Vietnam visit by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The two news agencies noted that Vietnam is Russia’s major trade partner in Asia and the second largest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Over the last 60 years, 52,000 Vietnamese experts have been trained at universities and colleges of the former Soviet Union and Russia. At present, 6,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia, they said, adding that so far this year, the number of Russian visitors to Vietnam has reached 150,000, doubling last year’s figure.

ITAR TASS and RIA-Novosti stressed that the two countries’ promotion of goods and service exchange, investment and the prospect for the signing of the FTA between the Customs Union and ASEAN will help considerably consolidate their positions in Asia-Pacific.-VNA