State leader to fortify Russian ties

Nguyen Ngoc Ky, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MoFA) European Affairs Department, told last week’s briefing on the five-day official visit that the two countries were planning to lift their strategic partnership, forged in March 2001, to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

“The comprehensive strategic partnership will be a great cooperation framework for the two countries,” Ky said. At present, Vietnam only has a comprehensive strategic partnership with Laos and China. According to the MoFA, Sang’s visit was his first to Europe since he was elected as state president in late July, last year. “Sang’s visit is to further deepen the two countries’ traditional relationship and confidence and establish personal relationship between the two sides’ leaders,”
Ky said.

Sang will have talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi city where only top leaders of foreign countries having special relationship with Russia are received.  The two leaders will discuss bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation. Sang will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, president of Russia’s ruling United Russia Party, to discuss bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.

A Vietnam-Russia joint statement is expected to be issued during this visit. The visit is also expected to witness in Sochi the signing of seven ministry-level cooperation deals about agriculture, customs, legislative assistance, science and technology, economics, and culture, sports and tourism.

Sang will also attend a ceremony to receive the first industrial oil flow at Western Khosedai by the Rusvietpetro joint venture, which was established four years ago by Russia’s Zarubezhneft holding a 51 per cent stake and PetroVietnam 49 per cent.

During his official friendship visit to Russia in early this month, MoFA Minister Pham Binh Minh and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov clinched a cooperation plan for 2013-2014. Minh discussed prospects of further developing the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership with a focus laid on nuclear power and military technology with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Ky said Russia wanted Vietnam to give more favourable conditions for Russian investors in implementing projects in mineral exploitation, telecommunications and mechanics. Also, Russia was actively urging Vietnam to boost the implementation of the first Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, which would be built by Russian experts.