Moscow (VNA) – At the invitation of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly Vyacheslav Volodin will pay an official visit to Vietnam from September 28-29, and co-chair the 4th meeting of the Vietnam–Russia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
This is Volodin’s third visit to Vietnam in his capacity as Chairman of the State Duma, underscoring the importance that both countries attach to parliamentary diplomacy as a pillar of their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Speaking to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Russia, Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi said the visit takes place in a year marked by major anniversaries, including the 75th anniversary of Vietnam–Russia diplomatic relations, the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day, and the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Against this backdrop, the visit reflects the determination of both sides to preserve their traditional friendship while elevating their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new phase of development on the foundation of high political trust.
The visit marks the continuation of high-level exchanges since the beginning of 2025, following Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s official visit to Vietnam in January and Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Russia in May. It is expected to give fresh impetus to bilateral relations by enhancing political trust and outlining new areas of cooperation.
According to the ambassador, the visit aims to implement major orientations agreed upon by the two countries’ top leaders during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Vietnam in June 2024 and General Secretary Lam’s May visit. The legislative bodies of the two countries play an important role in shaping the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and supervising the implementation of high-level agreements.
It reflects the increasingly important role of the legislatures in promoting bilateral cooperation as well as parliamentary cooperation globally.
In addition, the visit will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the Russian State Duma in particular and the Russian Federal Assembly in general and the Vietnamese NA, enhancing exchanges and coordination between the two countries' specialised committees and friendship parliamentary groups, as well as coordinating actions at international and regional inter-parliamentary forums.
The visit is an opportunity for the leaders of the two countries to discuss bilateral cooperation issues, from economy, trade, oil and gas, and science and technology to education, culture, defence, and people-to-people exchanges. It provides a chance to strengthen cooperation between the two legislatures, advance important cooperation projects, remove existing obstacles, and define orientations for future collaboration.
The 4th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, to be co-chaired by Chairman Volodin and Chairman Man, will be a central part of the visit. This is the highest-level and first inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism Vietnam has established with a foreign legislature. The meeting will allow both sides to share legislative experience, discuss parliamentary oversight of cooperation projects, and propose solutions for their governments to address existing challenges.
Regarding the two countries’ coordination in promoting key cooperation projects, the ambassador said that the exchange of experience between specialised committees and friendship groups of the two legislatures supports bilateral projects.
He stressed that parliamentary cooperation can play a vital role in facilitating business and investment, creating favourable legal conditions, and ensuring timely and full legal foundations for promoting bilateral collaboration.
Besides inter-governmental committees, the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee serves as a significant mechanism for enhancing bilateral cooperation.
During its third session held in September 2024 with the participation of representatives of both Governments, the two sides resolved many issues.
If this mechanism is maintained effectively, cooperation through the parliament channel will actively help remove difficulties and promote key projects in the energy sector.
Specialised committees in the legislatures of the two countries can promote the expansion of cooperation in science and technology, and education and training. These are areas where Russia has potential and strengths, and Vietnam has great demand for development goals, the ambassador said, highlighting citizen travel and labour cooperation as two issues of great concern.
Regarding progress in Vietnam-Russia relations in recent times, particularly after the General Secretary Lam's visit in May, the diplomat affirmed visible development in areas such as energy, health, culture, tourism, and construction. In particular, for the first time, Vietnam organised a cultural festival at Red Square (July 25 - August 3), attracting nearly 1 million visitors.
The participation and victory of Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc at the international music contest Intervision 2025 in Russia brought a new atmosphere to Vietnam-Russia cooperation, connecting the two countries and their people as well as creating a favourable premise to promote cooperation in other fields./.
VNA
