Moscow (VNA) - The Vietnamese Consulate General in Ekaterinburg city, Russia, on January 16 hosted a gathering ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival 2025, welcoming 200 guests, including representatives from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign consular agencies in the locality, Sverdlovsk Oblast officials, city leaders, members of the Vietnamese community, and friends of Vietnam.
In her remarks, Consul General Nguyen Mai Huong expressed her delight at the development in Vietnam-Russia relations, marked by high-level exchanges, particularly the successful visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Vietnam. Over the past year, Vietnam’s ties with Russia’s central regions have experienced positive progress, creating a strong foundation for deeper cooperation in 2025 across areas such as economy, trade, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
She expressed her gratitude for the support and strong relations with local authorities, which have facilitated consular activities and improved the lives, businesses, and educational opportunities of the Vietnamese community in Ekaterinburg and across Sverdlovsk oblast.
Although the Vietnamese community in Sverdlovsk is relatively small, it has remained stable for over 30 years. The community is highly respected within the broader Vietnamese community across Russia and by local authorities for its unity, hard work, law-abiding nature, and successful integration into local society.
The diplomat highlighted the importance of 2025 for Vietnam, describing it as a pivotal year for acceleration and breakthroughs in implementing the socio-economic development plan for 2026–2030. She noted that 2025 also marks the 75th anniversary of Vietnam-Russia diplomatic relations, which will be celebrated with numerous significant events in both countries. She expressed hope that in the Year of the Snake, the Vietnamese community will continue to uphold the spirit of solidarity and mutual support, promoting the nation’s values while contributing to strengthening ties between Vietnam and Russia.
Le Thanh Do, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Sverdlovsk, emphasised that overcoming the challenges of 2024 had further united the community, preserving their cultural identity while ensuring sustainable integration into local society./.
