Defence minister visits Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre

Defence Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich (centre) presents certificates of merit to the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre and its leaders on July 7 (Photo: VNA)

Defence Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich on July 7 visited the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre in Hanoi and offered congratulations to Russian experts there on the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War.

At the meeting with Minister Lich, Andrey Kuznetsov, General Director of the Russian side at the centre, said under the two Governments’ directions, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Inter-governmental Committee on the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre have developed this centre into a multi-sectoral scientific and technological research organisation for tropical issues like tropical materials science, tropical ecology, and tropical biomedicine.

It has also studied and provided scientific and technical support for the use and preservation of weapons and equipment of military arms and services, he noted.

Applauding the centre’s achievements, Minister Lich said the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre is the only bilateral cooperation mechanism of the former Soviet Union era that still exists at present, and it is a symbol of the sound and fruitful relations between Vietnam and the Soviet Union in the past and Russia today.

He also thanked the Russian Government for helping this centre to improve its infrastructure and scientific research capacity.

The official reiterated that the Vietnamese people and army always keep in mind the wholehearted and enormous assistance that the Soviet Union and Russian people have given to Vietnam throughout history.

The Southeast Asian nation always attaches importance to the enhancement of the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, and considers bilateral ties as one of the leading priorities in its foreign policy, he added.

Lich asked the centre to continue complying with the Vietnamese Party, State, Central Military Commission and Defence Ministry’s policies and guidelines on scientific and technological development, the two countries’ agreement on the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, and the protocols amending this deal.

It should also expand cooperation and improve the effectiveness of scientific and technological activities so as to serve the performance of military, defence and socio-economic development tasks in both countries, he said.

The minister also called on the Russian Government to instruct its relevant ministries and sectors to step up activities within the framework of this centre, and Russian experts to keep close coordination with their Vietnamese colleagues to carry out effective scientific and technological programmes.

On this occasion, the Defence Minister presented merit certificates to the centre, General Director of its Vietnamese side Maj. Gen. Dang Hong Trien, and General Director of the Russian side Andrey Kuznetsov in recognition of their excellent attainments in the countries’ scientific and technological cooperation./.

VNA