A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 7 to mark the 96th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution, which laid a foundation for the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Russia.

This relationship has stood the test of time to be incessantly fostered and developed, said Nguyen Huu Thanh, Chairman of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association’s Ho Chi Minh City Chapter.

Reviewing the historical significance of the event, Thanh noted that both countries are working closely together in a number of global issues and actively cooperating in economics, energy, diplomacy, military, culture, and education-training.

The two countries strive to raise annual bilateral trade to five billion USD by 2015 and 15 billion USD by 2020, he said, adding that at a local level, his city is developing ties with Moscow , Saint Petersburg and Sverdlovsk .

Russian Consul General in HCM City Anatoly Vassilievich Borovik stressed both nations will jointly preserve and reinforce their traditional brotherhood and promote mutual understanding and cooperative ties.

Borovik highlighted the talks between leaders of both sides as the foundation to develop ties between Vietnam and Russia as well as between HCM City and Russia’s Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Sverdlovsk in particular.

The same day, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Hanoi Party’s Committee Nguyen Cong Soai led a delegation from the Hanoi Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and the municipal Fatherland Front Central Committee to lay wreaths at the statue of Vladimir Ilych Lenin to mark the revolution.

On the occasion, the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association Hanoi chapter, along with the Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and the Fatherland Front Central Committee of Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district paid floral tributes to the first leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).-VNA