Strengthening cooperation in all fields between Vietnam and Russia as well as among localities will create a firm foundation for promoting traditional ties of bilateral friendship and cooperation.

The statement was made by Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, during her meeting in the city on December 22 with a delegation of the United Russia Party (ER) headed by Andrey Klimov, a member of the presidium of the ER’s General Council.

HCM City has established friendly and cooperative ties with four Russian localities, namely Sverdlovsk, Moscow, St Petersburg and Vladivostok, Ha said, adding the city is discussing to set up relations with other localities.

Russia is running 21 foreign direct investment projects with a total capital of 32.4 million USD in HCM City.

In 2014, two-way trade between the city and Russia is estimated at 250 million USD, of which HCM City export reaches 150 million USD.

Ha said that the city treasures and pays attention to promoting relations with Russia, contributing to the two countries’ ties.

For his part, Andrey Klimov suggested the two countries enhance cooperation in each field, each region and Party-building work.

He stressed the important role Party work and the need to educate the younger generation about the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries in the past and at present.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed measures to boost cooperation between the two countries, between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the United Russia Party, as well as between HCM City and Russian localities. They also touched upon a number of international and regional issues of common concern.

The same day, the ER delegation worked with leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on the world of the local legislative body in social life.-VNA