President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse arrived at Vnucovo-2 airport on June 28th (Photo: VNA)
A welcome ceremony for the State leader was held at Vnucovo-2 airport, which was attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son, among others.
President Tran Dai Quang’s entourage includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang TrungHai, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Education Phung Xuan Nha, and Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan.
Vietnam and Russia have enjoyed a growing relationship over the past years. The two sides recognised each other’s market economy in 2017.
Their economic and trade connection has also been developing. Oil and gas cooperation projects are being implemented in both countries and bilateral trade is growing, reaching USD2.7 billion in 2016, up 25 percent from 2015. The figure was USD1.37 billion in the first five months of 2017. The expansion of the partnership in auto assembly and production also shows promise.
A free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member, was signed in 2015 and took effect on October 5th, 2016.
Russia is currently ranks 23th among 116 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Vietnam’s investment in Russia has also increased from USD100 million in 2008 to USD2.4 billion currently, mostly in oil and gas, trade and agriculture.
Affiliation in defence-security, science-technology, education-training and culture-tourism has also been tightened. Cultural exchanges have been held regularly.
Russia is one of the 10 biggest sources of foreign tourists to Vietnam. More than 430,000 Russian tourists came to Vietnam in 2016, up 12.8 percent year on year.
More than 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia.
Since 1991, the two sides have signed over 100 cooperation documents in all fields, including economy, trade, investment, oil and gas, nuclear power, education and training, culture, science and technology, and defence./.