Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talkswith visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Hanoi on April16.
The two sides reviewed the bilateral relationshipover the past time and discussed measures for more result-orientedcooperation, especially in economics-trade, science-technology,culture-education, humanity, local cooperation and coordination atregional and international arenas.
The ministers agreedthat the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has seenpositive developments, bringing practical benefits to both sides.
Fine political relations based on mutual trust have been strengthenedthrough the exchange of delegations at all levels, laying a foundationand creating a driving force for enhancing bilateral ties in otherareas, they said.
Economic-trade cooperation between thetwo countries has maintained good growth in recent years, with two-waytrade hitting 3.97 billion USD last year, an increase of 7 percentagainst 2012.
Russia backs Vietnam in negotiations for thesigning of a Free Trade Agreement with the Customs Union of Russia,Belarus and Kazakhstan so that the process can be finalised within thisyear.
Cooperation in energy and oil and gas has been alsoimplemented effectively in both Vietnam and Russia, bringing stable andsubstantial earnings to the countries’ budgets.
The twosides highly valued the work of a high-level working group on priorityinvestment projects between the two nations, including the Ninh Thuan 1nuclear power plant, the expansion of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery, andoil and gas projects on Vietnamese and Russian territories.
In addition, connections in security-defence, culture,education-training, tourism and sports have seen fruitful results. Theministers concurred that the two countries should continue to speed upthe establishment of the Vietnam-Russia University of Technology inVietnam.
Regarding external relations, both sides notedthat they share many similarities in almost all important regional andglobal issues. The two countries maintain close coordination and mutualsupport at international forums, especially the United Nations,contributing to protecting the national interests of each country aswell as strengthening and consolidating their comprehensive strategicpartnership.
Vietnam supports Russia’s engagement inAsia-Pacific forums. The two sides discussed bilateral collaboration inthe framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) andagreed that Russia’s active participation in the Russia-ASEAN dialogue,including the implementation of the 2005-2015 comprehensive action plan,the ASEAN-Russia trade and investment cooperation roadmap, as well asother regional mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEANRegional Forum (ARF) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will greatlycontribute to consolidating security, peace and stability in the regionand the world at large.
Regarding the East Sea issue, thetwo sides shared the view on the need to solve disputes by peacefulmeans on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the implementation of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) whilepushing for the building of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.
Concluding the talks, Minh and Lavrov signed a cooperation plan between the two foreign ministries for the 2015-2016 period.
Later, at a joint press briefing, Deputy PM and FM Minh said the talksfocused on measures to further bilateral cooperation, particularly inthe fields of economics and trade for the interests of both countries.
He added that the two countries will mark the 65 thanniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2015, which according tohim, is a hallmark in the history of their relations.
Lavrov, for his part, stresses that Russia appreciates Vietnam’sincreasing role in Asia – Pacific, as well as its active role in theAssociation of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and other regional andinternational linkages. He suggested Vietnam continues to work as abridge between Russia – ASEAN ties, and other regional mechanisms inwhich ASEAN plays a core role.
He said negotiations forthe Vietnam – Customs Union FTA is making good progress, expressing hopethat Vietnam will join the union soon.
The ministeraffirmed that Russia supports the organisation of activities to mark the65 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
In themorning the same day, Lavrov laid a wreath at a memorial dedicated toheroic martyrs and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at hismausoleum.-VNA
The two sides reviewed the bilateral relationshipover the past time and discussed measures for more result-orientedcooperation, especially in economics-trade, science-technology,culture-education, humanity, local cooperation and coordination atregional and international arenas.
The ministers agreedthat the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership has seenpositive developments, bringing practical benefits to both sides.
Fine political relations based on mutual trust have been strengthenedthrough the exchange of delegations at all levels, laying a foundationand creating a driving force for enhancing bilateral ties in otherareas, they said.
Economic-trade cooperation between thetwo countries has maintained good growth in recent years, with two-waytrade hitting 3.97 billion USD last year, an increase of 7 percentagainst 2012.
Russia backs Vietnam in negotiations for thesigning of a Free Trade Agreement with the Customs Union of Russia,Belarus and Kazakhstan so that the process can be finalised within thisyear.
Cooperation in energy and oil and gas has been alsoimplemented effectively in both Vietnam and Russia, bringing stable andsubstantial earnings to the countries’ budgets.
The twosides highly valued the work of a high-level working group on priorityinvestment projects between the two nations, including the Ninh Thuan 1nuclear power plant, the expansion of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery, andoil and gas projects on Vietnamese and Russian territories.
In addition, connections in security-defence, culture,education-training, tourism and sports have seen fruitful results. Theministers concurred that the two countries should continue to speed upthe establishment of the Vietnam-Russia University of Technology inVietnam.
Regarding external relations, both sides notedthat they share many similarities in almost all important regional andglobal issues. The two countries maintain close coordination and mutualsupport at international forums, especially the United Nations,contributing to protecting the national interests of each country aswell as strengthening and consolidating their comprehensive strategicpartnership.
Vietnam supports Russia’s engagement inAsia-Pacific forums. The two sides discussed bilateral collaboration inthe framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) andagreed that Russia’s active participation in the Russia-ASEAN dialogue,including the implementation of the 2005-2015 comprehensive action plan,the ASEAN-Russia trade and investment cooperation roadmap, as well asother regional mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEANRegional Forum (ARF) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will greatlycontribute to consolidating security, peace and stability in the regionand the world at large.
Regarding the East Sea issue, thetwo sides shared the view on the need to solve disputes by peacefulmeans on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the implementation of theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) whilepushing for the building of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.
Concluding the talks, Minh and Lavrov signed a cooperation plan between the two foreign ministries for the 2015-2016 period.
Later, at a joint press briefing, Deputy PM and FM Minh said the talksfocused on measures to further bilateral cooperation, particularly inthe fields of economics and trade for the interests of both countries.
He added that the two countries will mark the 65 thanniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2015, which according tohim, is a hallmark in the history of their relations.
Lavrov, for his part, stresses that Russia appreciates Vietnam’sincreasing role in Asia – Pacific, as well as its active role in theAssociation of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and other regional andinternational linkages. He suggested Vietnam continues to work as abridge between Russia – ASEAN ties, and other regional mechanisms inwhich ASEAN plays a core role.
He said negotiations forthe Vietnam – Customs Union FTA is making good progress, expressing hopethat Vietnam will join the union soon.
The ministeraffirmed that Russia supports the organisation of activities to mark the65 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
In themorning the same day, Lavrov laid a wreath at a memorial dedicated toheroic martyrs and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at hismausoleum.-VNA
