Vietnam values ties with Russia: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

Russia remains a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized during a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on October 23.

Meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (center, right) and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on October 23. Photos: VNA

Prime Minister Chinh highlighted the growing political and diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Russia, particularly after President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Vietnam in June 2024.

The visit, along with many high-level exchanges between the countries' leaders, has contributed to mutual political trust that enables cooperation in many areas, he said.

Prime Minister Chinh welcomed the positive results achieved in various areas of cooperation since President Putin's visit and looked forward to areas where both nations have great potential, based on mutual benefits.

He also reaffirmed Vietnam's support for Russia's chairmanship of BRICS and thanked the Russian Government and organizers for their warm and thoughtful hospitality.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that President Putin and the Russian Government highly value the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and consider Vietnam a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

He appreciated Prime Minister Chinh’s strong commitment to fostering Vietnam-Russia relations.

The two officials acknowledged the significant progress in their bilateral cooperation, especially in the energy and petroleum sectors, which have contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of both countries.

As the world transitions to green energy and mitigates the effects of climate change, Prime Minister Chinh called on both governments to explore new areas of cooperation and maximize existing agreements in these critical areas.

Prime Minister Chinh reiterated that the Vietnamese government always welcomes and creates favorable conditions for Russian companies, including those in the oil and gas sector, to expand their operations in Vietnam.

Further energy cooperation expected

The Russian Government and its Ministry of Energy highly value the ongoing cooperation between the two nations and look forward to launching new energy projects, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsiviliev said at the meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) meets with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsiviliev.

During their meeting on October 23, the Russian minister praised the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, saying it would help address climate change, energy transition, renewable energy, green energy, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

He expressed confidence that the Prime Minister's forward-looking insights would be a catalyst for further bilateral cooperation.

Recalling the meeting with former Vietnamese students who studied in Russia and the Soviet Union in June 2024, Sergey said it was memorable and that the Vietnamese are a people of discipline, hard work and intelligence.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed that Vietnam highly values its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia.

He said Vietnam wants to deepen cooperation in areas that benefit both peoples.

The Prime Minister stressed that the frequent and active exchanges between the two countries at all levels have strengthened the political foundation for Vietnam and Russia to expand cooperation, especially in energy and oil, an important pillar of the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister Chinh called on the Russian Ministry of Energy to continue supporting the energy and oil cooperation between Vietnam and Russia.

He expected the Russian ministry to work closely with Vietnamese authorities to make it easier for businesses from both sides to implement joint projects in each other's territories.

The Prime Minister also expressed hope that the two sides would resume and expand training programs for Vietnamese officials and experts in the energy and oil sectors, while also advancing cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, green transition, and circular economy.

Prime Minister Chinh also agreed with the Russian minister on negotiating and finalizing cooperation agreements, especially in education, training, investment and other potential areas in the near future.