Russian bear’s big trade footprint

What do you think about the potential for developing the two countries’ economic, trade, investment and tourism cooperation?

The strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam has been made based on traditional friendship. It has climbed to a higher level, with bigger cooperation scopes and forms stretching over all fields like politics, economic-trade, science and technique and humanism. We have made substantial strides to implement the two sides’ breakthrough deals.

Two-way trade turnover reached $3 billion last year, up a staggering 55.36 per cent on-year, and $932 billion in this year’s first quarter, up 39 per cent on-year. Russia’s World Trade Organization accession and the possibility for signing a free trade agreement between the Tariff Alliance (Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) and Vietnam will surely increase the turnover further. Negotiations of this agreement will start soon.

Russian-Vietnamese cooperation in the energy, oil and gas, military techniques sectors and other hi-tech sectors is surging, with encouraging results. For example, the Vietnam-Russia Vietsovpetro joint venture company, which in July 2011 celebrated its 30th anniversary of establishment, has been developing well. In another case, the Vietnam-Russia RusVietpetro joint venture company based in Nenets has annually been exploiting 1.5 million tonnes of crude after several years of operation. Also, the Vietgazprom joint venture company has also been exploring oil in Vietnam’s continental shelf. Many other Russian big companies like Lukoil and TNK-BP have also penetrated the Vietnamese market.

Another important issue is that atomic energy cooperation has become one of the priorities in the two countries’ cooperation. The two sides clinched in November 2011 a series of documents which have laid groundwork for the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant, and implementation of this project is underway now. I would like to highlight Russia’s overall project approach, including human resources training and building legal regulations.

Russia-Vietnam cooperation can also be seen in the local level. For example, Russian localities’ scientific and technological potential, firstly in Sibiri and the Far East, is much needed in Vietnam.

We are interested in cooperating with Vietnamese partners in developing the light industry in Russia’s Primorie region. This is important as Russia will work as the chair of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2012. The next summit of this forum will take place in Vladivostok in September 2012.

In a nutshell, I would like to note that the strategic relationship between Vietnam and Russia has been increasingly consolidated in quality. We of course still have many things to do. But I do believe that we have all reasons to be optimistic about the future.

How important is Vietnam’s position to Russia’s external policy in the Asia Pacific region?

Over the past many decades, Vietnam has always been one of Russia’s most important partners in Asia Pacific. The two countries forged their strategic partnership in March 2011 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first official visit to Vietnam. Since then the bilateral relationship has continuously been developing in all areas. We have also been acting in concert in the international arena based on common views.

Russia and Vietnam can take pride in their effective economic relationship. We would like to extend our deep gratitude to Vietnamese partners for their supporting Russia’s position in Asia Pacific.

Overall, the cementing of its comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam is high on Russia’s external policy. I would like to particularly stress that one of the first ordinances that Putin signed after he became president was the ordinance on implementing external policy measures, which clearly underscored a task to strengthen relationship with Vietnam. It is because Vietnam is considered one of Russia’s strategic partners in the region.

How significant is the visit by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang to Russia?

Regular dialogue relations, including high-level and highest-level dialogues, have played an important role in the Russia-Vietnam relationship. I believe that Sang’s coming official visit to Moscow, which will be his first visit to Russia since he was in late July 2011 elected as state president, will create an important momentum to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries. Particularly, Sang will be the first head of state in the Asia Pacific region to be welcomed by Putin since he took office. This highlights the position of Vietnam in our external policy.

We do pin our hopes on this visit. The two leaders will have a good chance to review achievements in the past, putting forward orientations for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in the coming time.

Could you please share the orientation for the bilateral cultural cooperation, given the fact that the Russian culture in general and Russian literature in particular had great influence on Vietnam’s preceding generations?

The relations between the two countries in humanities have been developing actively. The two nations have inherited the rich tradition and close relationship from the preceding generations.

The two sides are also interested in the significant potential in educational cooperation. The cooperation between universities has been realised. Around 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russia’s universities and colleges. In the 2011-2012 academic year, we granted 345 federation scholarships to Vietnamese students to study in Russia. We are willing to increase the number of the scholarships upon the actual demand from Vietnam.

Various cultural activities made by Russian art delegations in Vietnam including art performances, concerts and film shows have attracted a great number of audience, mostly young people. We are also implementing a series of specialised programmes aiming at popularising Russia language and culture, which has been set as one of the important elements in our country’s external policy. We are considering sending Russia teachers to major universities of Vietnam. To this end, it is necessary to have big efforts from the two sides.