“Experiencing numerous difficulties and challenges over the past 60 years, Russia and Vietnam have still maintained a friendly and trustful relationship as well as mutual respect to each other,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasised, noting that it is one of the major achievements the two countries have attained to date.
The Foreign Minister made those assessments on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Russia diplomatic ties (January 30).
Lavrov noted that a series of high-level political meetings held in early 21st century have helped lift the Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership to a new level that fully meets the vital interests of the two peoples and contribute importantly to strengthening security, stability and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
“While implementing their own foreign policies of diversification, both Russia and Vietnam attach importance to enhancing their coordination of actions,” the diplomat said, highlighting the experiences accumulated in major cooperation areas over the years as the firm foundation for that coordination.
He cited the Hoa Binh hydro-electric power plant and the VietsovPetro oil and gas joint venture company as the symbol of the two countries’ effective cooperation, alongside traditional links in education, training and humanitarian areas.
Lavrov in particular mentioned the warm and sincere feelings that the people of both countries share about each other.
Regarding the prospect of the two countries’ relationship, the FM said that after the difficult time in the 1990s, Russia-Vietnam ties have entered a new chapter of dynamic development on the basis of a Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership signed during the Russian President’s visit to Vietnam in March, 2001.
The two countries have been able to find optimal solutions to a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation, Lavrov affirmed.
Political dialogues have been increased at all levels, first of all high level, over those years. In the past decade, the Russian President and Prime Minister each visited Vietnam twice while Russia greeted Vietnam’s Party chief once, the State President, twice, and the Prime Minister, three times.
He said the outcomes of President Dmitry Medvedev’s talks with President Nguyen Minh Triet in Moscow in October 2008 and the results of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s working visit to Russia in December 2009 have contributed significantly to furthering the Russia-Vietnam all-around cooperation.
Russia and Vietnam share common viewpoints in many major global issues at present, and both have unanimously supported the adherence to collective principles in global policies as well as the formation of a global multi-polar system based on international laws and multilateral diplomacy with the UN playing the core role, the FM underlined.
Lavrov described economic-trade cooperation as the most important component of the Russia-Vietnam ties, citing the January-October trade value of US$1.5 billion in 2009 – a record high over the past two decades – to support his view.
Bilateral cooperation has proved effective in the fields of fuel, energy, mechanical engineering, post and telecommunications, the FM said.
“In general, the development results of the Russia-Vietnam ties give us the reason to be optimistic about the future,” Lavrov said.
Regarding Vietnam’s role in Russia’s foreign policy in 2010, the FM affirmed that “Russian always gives priority to Vietnam in its Asia-Pacific policy.”
Russia and Vietnam are cooperating effectively in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, particularly in the APEC forum and within the Russia-ASEAN dialogue framework, he said.
“I believe that the Russia-Vietnam relationship would be further boosted this year as Vietnam becomes the Chair of ASEAN as Russia treasures cooperation with the association and is its overall dialogue partner,” the FM said.
He said he hopes with Vietnam’s assistance, the second Russia-ASEAN summit will be held successfully in Hanoi in the upcoming autumn.