Writing a new chapter in the history of Vietnam-Russia friendly relations

At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying a state visit to Vietnam on June 19-20, 2024.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations and the 12th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Russia, the visit marks an important diplomatic event for both countries, which makes a significant contribution to further deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. The visit also demonstrates the importance that both countries attach to their long-established, time-honoured friendly relations, as well as the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

A look back at the history of Vietnam-Russia relations in the past more than 70 years shows that the bilateral relationship has always been warm and trusted, which is increasingly deepened in all fields, from politics-diplomacy to economy-trade, culture, social affairs and science-technology. During its struggle for national independence and national construction, the Vietnamese Party, State and people have always received the firm and loyal support of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation today.

Since formally establishing diplomatic ties on January 30, 1950, the relationship between the two countries has grown strongly. In March 2001, the countries signed a joint declaration on the Vietnam-Russia Strategic Partnership, marking an important milestone in their bilateral relations. In July 2012, the two countries decided to upgrade their ties by establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In politics and diplomacy, Vietnam-Russia relations have high trust and are increasingly strengthened through visits at all levels, especially high-level ones. The two sides have maintained numerous coordination and dialogue mechanisms, such as the annual diplomacy-defence-security strategic dialogue at the permanent deputy foreign ministerial level and defence strategic dialogue at the defence deputy ministerial level. In addition, the two sides also conduct regular political consultations at the deputy foreign ministerial level and lower levels, within the cooperation framework between the two Foreign Ministries.

For economics and trade, Vietnam and Russia have maintained the mechanism of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Economic, Trade and Scientific-technical Cooperation, established in 1992 and upgraded to the deputy prime ministerial level in 2011. The Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member, took effect in 2016.

Trade exchanges between the two countries have been maintained in recent years. Bilateral trade turnover reached 3.63 billion USD in 2023 and 1.11 billion USD in the first quarter of 2024. Vietnam’s main export products to Russia include telephones, electronics, textiles, footwear, and agricultural and aquatic products. The main imported products are coal, wheat, steel, fertiliser, cars, machinery, and equipment.

Regarding investment, the Russian side has 186 investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of 984.98 million USD as of April 2024, ranking 28th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Investment projects are implemented in 21 localities in oil and gas, mining, processing industries, manufacturing, and other fields. Vietnam has 18 investment projects in Russia, with a total registered capital of 1.63 billion USD, ranking 4th among 80 countries and territories, with investment capital from Vietnam.

The emotional attachment between Vietnam and Russia comes from support and close cooperation in politics, economics and many other fields, and harmony from the soul and emotion between the people of the two countries, through cultural exchanges. Many literary works with high ideological and artistic value by Russian greats have become extremely familiar to Vietnamese people.

In the field of education and training cooperation, in the past, the Soviet Union helped Vietnam train nearly 40,000 officials and experts in many different specialties.

Currently, Russia continues to support Vietnam in training human resources. Since 2019, Russia has increased the number of scholarships for Vietnam to about 1,000/year. here are currently more than 5,000 Vietnamese students studying abroad in Russia. Vietnam has sent 1,204 international students to study abroad in Russia on scholarships for the 2022/2023 school year.

Science-technology cooperation continues to be maintained. The two countries have carried out research and technology transfer projects. Scientific research cooperation within the framework of the Tropical Center in Vietnam has brought many positive results. The two sides are implementing the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center project.

Local cooperation is enhanced through the exchange of delegations and the signing of many cooperation agreements. About 20 pairs of relationships between localities of the two countries have been established, especially between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko affirmed:

In 2024, Vietnam and Russia celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Treaty on Principles of Friendly Relations and 12 years of establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. 2025 is also of great significance, as Vietnam and Russia will celebrate 75 years of establishing diplomatic relations. These are important moments for the two countries to review and honour past cooperative achievements while building a roadmap to accompany, connect and develop.

Responding to an interview with a reporter from Nhan Dan Newspaper, before the State visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin, from June 19 to 20, Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations emphasised:

According to him, leaders of Vietnam and Russia agreed that over the years, the two countries' relations have developed comprehensively and strongly, and brought practical benefits to the people of both countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Evaluating the 70-year journey of warm and trustworthy cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Sadykov Timur Sirozhevich, said that the relationship between Vietnam and Russia has been special thanks to the closeness and similarity in history, culture and character of the two peoples, along with the rich cultures imbued with national identities. The two countries have been united by common core values, ​​such as ardent patriotism, the strong will to fight against foreign invaders, diligence, creativity and profound humanity.

Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Sadykov Timur Sirozhevich expressed his belief:

The State visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin will certainly yield good results and convey the strong message that Vietnam and Russia are determined to further deepen their long-standing friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, together writing new chapters of brighter cooperation in the history of bilateral relations.