In his speech, Russian ambassador Andrey G.Kovtun, congratulated the Vietnamese people on the 40th anniversary of the “Hanoi-Dien Bien Phu battle in the air” victory.

The ambassador noted the traditions of solidarity and cooperation and the valuable support Russian military experts provided during the construction of Vietnam’s modern air defense system four decades ago.

Kovtun said that Vietnamese-Russian relations will continue to grow and flourish. In 2012, both countries have implemented a number of major agreements. The developments in the political dialogue between Russia and Vietnam demonstrated their determination to boost bilateral relations.

Apart from high-level delegation visits, relevant agencies have also expanded cooperation and stepped up trade and economic exchanges.

Two-way trade turnover hit US$3.11 billion over the past ten months, up 40 percent compared to the same period in 2011.  Exports earned US$1.23 billion while imports were valued at US$1.88 billion. Both nations are striving for the record figure of US$7 billion in 2015.

Cooperation between the two countries has also been deepened in fields like energy, telecommunications, culture, education, tourism, science, and technology.

In early 2013, the Russian diplomat will begin free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

He stressed Russia’s relationship with Vietnam remains one of the top priorities in Russia’s foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific and bringing benefits to the entire region.

VOV