Vietnam and Russia have agreed to upgrade their bilateral relations to comprehensive strategic partnership to meet their people’s aspirations and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asian-Pacific region and the world.

The agreement was reached by President Truong Tan Sang and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during their talks in the Russian city of Sochi on July 27.

The two leaders briefed each other on political, socio-economic situation and foreign policies in their respective countries and compared notes on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

 

President Sang praised Russia’s socio-economic achievements even though the country is facing the global financial crisis and the public debt crisis in Europe.

He affirmed Vietnam’s support for Russian leaders’ long-term policy of comprehensively modernizing the country and enhancing Russia’s role as well as its influence in the region and the world over.

Russian President Putin spoke highly of achievements the Vietnamese people have recorded during the renewal process as well as the national industrialization and modernisation.

He congratulated Vietnam on its increased position and prestige in the international arena.

Both sides noted with pleasure the dynamic developments in the strategic partnership over the past time.

Apart from fine political ties, Vietnam and Russia have enjoyed constant developments in economic-trade cooperation, especially in the strategic fields of oil and gas and atomic energy.

Two-way trade turnover hit nearly US$1 billion in the first five months of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 45.5 percent.

However, the figures are still far from matching the two countries’ potentials and demands, the two leaders noted.

They reached consensus on the early negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to boost cooperation between the two countries’ financial and banking organizations.

They showed their determination to bring two-way trade to US$5 billion in 2015 and US$10 billion in 2020.

On bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, Russia pledged to ensure the progress of the building of the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam as scheduled with the highest safety and quality.

Vietnam and Russia affirmed that they will continue increasing their cooperation in oil and gas exploration and exploitation on Vietnam’s continental shelf and creating the best possible conditions for Vietnamese-Russian joint ventures such as Vietsovpetro, Rusvietpetro, Gazpromviet and Vietgazprom to expand oil and gas exploration and exploitation areas not only in the two countries but also in the third countries.

Vietnam is willing to get involved in Russia’s programme to boost socio-economic development in Eastern Siberia and the Far East, and to discuss with Russian partners about the possibility of establishing joint ventures producing goods that are of Vietnam’s strength such as garments and textiles, footwear, wood products, seafood and electronics, Mr Sang said.

The Russian side said it will continue helping Vietnam train its soldiers who will be able to master the Russian military technology and equipment in Vietnam, and focus on national defence training for Vietnam.

They also emphasized the need to broaden their cooperation in science-technology, education and training, adding that they should soon establish the Vietnam-Russia Technology University in Hanoi and improve the efficiency of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Scientific-Technological Research Centre to meet each country’s development requirements.

The two leaders acknowledged the active contributions by Vietnamese and Russian citizens to strengthening the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two leaders demonstrated their high consensus on international and regional issues and expressed their pleasure at the close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums, especially at the United Nations.

They also consented to continue their close coordination for the benefit of each country, and for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in Asia and the Pacific and the world.

Vietnam welcomed Russia’s entry to the World Trade Organisation and appreciated the country’s role and activities as the chairman of the 2012 the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. 

Russia also praised Vietnam’s active role and activities in ASEAN as well as regional and international organizations, and asked Vietnam to continue acting as a bridge to promote relations between Russia and ASEAN.

President Sang took the occasion to invite Mr Putin to visit Vietnam and his invitation was accepted with pleasure. The time for the visit will be arranged through the diplomatic channel.

After the talks, Mr Sang and Mr Putin witnessed the signing of a number of documents. They include a protocol ratifying an agreement on juridical and legal assistance for civil and criminal issues between Vietnam and Russia and a protocol supplementing an agreement on juridical and legal assistance for legal ties and civil and criminal issues signed on August 25, 1998 between the two countries, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the enhancement of cooperation in agriculture between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Russia’s Agriculture Ministry, a MoU on the exchange of bilateral trade statistics and a joint action plan on anti-smuggling between the Vietnam General Department of Customs and the Federal Customs Service of Russia, and a cooperation programme for the 2013-2015 period between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Russian Culture Ministry.

Both sides issued a joint statement on the enhancement of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

In the joint statement, the two sides said they support the formation of a new, fairer and more democratic world order, while stressing the need to build a new world order based on the principles of international law, fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the respect of sovereignty, national integrity and non-intervention into internal affairs of other nations.

Vietnam and Russia held that international security is comprehensive and inseparable, adding that it is not allowed to ensure security of a nation by harming that of others, including the expansion of military-politic alliance and the establishment of global and regional anti-missile defence systems. They attached importance to enhancing joint activities on the international arena in order to fight terrorism in any form.

Both sides shared the views that the United Nations holds the central role in coordinating international missions, including the guarantee of security and sustainable development. They agreed that the prerequisite to reform UN main agencies is the maximum consensus on the issue among UN member countries.

The two countries’ leaders stress that the armed intervention in internal conflicts of sovereign nations and the imposition of unilateral sanction without appropriate attention to internal politic, ethnic, religious and cultural specificities and other characteristics contain risks of instability and increase tension in international relations.

Vietnam and Russia resolutely reject all plots of revising the World War II history that cast doubt on the decisive role of the people of the former Soviet Union in the victory over the Fascism and militarism.

Both sides supported G-20’s efforts in completing global economic and financial management for stable, sustainable and equal growth and the world monetary-financial system’s restructuring, fighting the protectionism, and giving more attention to development.

President Putin highly valued Vietnam’s role in activities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other regional and international links.

President Sang voiced support for Russia’s strategic policy to unceasingly strengthen its position in Asia and the Pacific for the sake of peace and sustainable development in the region.

The two sides supported the establishment of an open, transparent, fair and cooperative security architecture in the region built on international law’s provisions and principles of non-alliance and consideration of legitimate interests of all countries.

The leaders welcomed the substantial implementation of cooperation between Russia and ASEAN.

Vietnam and Russia affirmed their determination to increase coordination to cope with new challenges and risks threatening security and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, firstly within the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting plus dialogue partners.

The two sides held that territorial disputes and other disputes in the Asian-Pacific space should be solved only by peaceful measures without the use of force or the threat to use force, based on the existing international law, particularly the UN Charter and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They support the full implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the approach to the building of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea at an early date.

Vietnam and Russia affirmed the policy of expanding the cooperation within the framework of ‘Asia-Europe dialogue forum’, conference on interaction and confidence-building measures in Asia (CICA) and the East Asia Summit (EAS).

They also supported the inclusion of principle issues on regional security to the EAS agenda

(VOV)