Russia’s Tula Oblast boosts cooperation with Vietnamese localities

Moscow (VNA) – Tula Oblast is willing to step up cooperation with Vietnamese localities in all fields, said Governor of the Russian region Aleksey Dyumin.

The official made the statement at a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh, who made a working trip to the region on November 8 and 9.

Both host and guest agreed that the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has been grown extensively in the areas of economy, trade, tourism, culture, humanitarian aid, and education.  

Dyumin said trade turnover between his region and Vietnamese localities reached 1 million USD last year, an annual increase of 50 percent. However, the figure still fell short of bilateral potential for cooperation, he stressed.

The governor suggested the sides boost their joint work in the sectors of garment-textile, tourism, medicine, and mechanical engineering. He pledged to create the best conditions possible for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the region.

He requested the Vietnam Embassy introduce the country’s strengths and propose Vietnamese key products for export to Tula Oblast.

For his part, Manh reviewed progress in Vietnam-Russia ties, particularly recent meetings between senior leaders of the two nations and the positive impacts of the free trade agreement signed between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union.

In the first nine months of 2018, Vietnam-Russia trade grew 30 percent, he said, pointing to the fact that compared to such number, trade between Vietnam and Tula Oblast remained modest.

The diplomat recommended Vietnamese localities and the Russian region increase the exchange of business delegations to seek trade-economic and investment opportunities.

Manh asked the local authorities to consider the establishment of twin relations with Vietnam’s central province of Ha Tinh as they share lots of similarities.

He urged the oblast to actively participate in activities of the Russia Year in Vietnam and Vietnam Year in Russia in 2019. Vietnam also expects to see more students trained at universities in Russia and Tula in partcicular, he said.

The ambassador expressed his hope for further support from Tula Oblast’s authorities toward the Vietnamese expatriate community here.

Lauding Manh’s proposals, the governor directed relevant agencies to make a list of potential cooperation fields and carry out procedures for the establishment of twin relations with a Vietnamese locality.

Earlier, the diplomat toured a number of Vietnamese-run garment workshops. Insufficient statistics showed that there were about 30 workshop of its kind in Tula, creating jobs for nearly 2,000 Vietnamese with average monthly incomes ranging between 600 and 1,000 USD.

He also visited Russia’s biggest turkey producer Krasnobor, which is exporting its products to Vietnam.-VNA