National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin at the welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on October 15., 2023. (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman Hue called Chairman of the State Duma Volodin’s visit a significant event contributing to consolidating and enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two legislative bodies and the two countries in general.

The Vietnamese Party and State attach great importance to the visit, he said, noting that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are scheduled to hold meetings with the Russian State Duma Chairman on October 16.

For his part, Chairman of the State Duma Volodin expressed his hope that the two legislatures will maintain high-level meetings in the time ahead, remarking that the Vietnam-Russia relationship is developing fruitfully.

The two countries boast a comprehensive strategic partnership and it can be said that they are strategic friends, he said, suggesting the two legislative bodies make more contributions to the bilateral ties, and seek new cooperation forms to advance the relationship, including economic, trade and investment cooperation.

According to Chairman Volodin, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia brings together representatives from five political parties, but all the parliamentarians support promoting cooperation with Vietnam, which has been reflected through the presence of representatives from political parties and important committees of the State Duma and ministries and Government agencies of Russia in the trip. He conveyed regards from leaders of some political parties in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly to NA Chairman Hue.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) shakes hands with Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin. (Photo: VNA)

The Russian State Duma leader said some 572,000 Russians visited Vietnam in 2019, and suggested the two countries further facilitate the exchange and travelling of their citizens after the COVID-19 pandemic.

NA Chairman Hue valued the members of the Russian delegation, saying that the visit offers an important opportunity for the two sides to seek measures in order to strengthen the relations between the two legislatures and countries.

Russia is always a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy, he said, stressing that Vietnam treasures and wishes to consolidate and enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia through all the Party, legislature, Government and people-to-people exchange channels.

Sharing Chairman Volodin’s view on the Vietnam-Russia relationship, NA Chairman Hue said the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember the wholehearted support of the Soviet Union in the past and now Russia to Vietnam during its past struggle for national independence and reunification, and the present cause of national construction and defence.

Vietnam highly values the role of political parties in Russia, as well as achievements Russia has recorded under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, he said, lauding Russia’s social stability and its economic development.

The two legislative leaders acknowledged with their pleasure positive changes in the bilateral relations through high-level delegation exchange. They proposed that the two sides continue to enhance the exchange of delegation at all levels to continue promoting practical and effective cooperation through all channels, especially the Party and parliament channels.

NA Chairman Hue affirmed that Vietnam supports Russia in promoting its active role in Asia-Pacific in regional processes and issues; and is ready to act as a bridge promoting cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin hold talks in Hanoi on October 15, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

The two sides agreed to coordinate at multilateral forums, within ASEAN and the UN. In that spirit, Vietnam called on the Russia side to support the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam in resolving disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and via the Russia-ASEAN relationship, work as an active factor to advocate the early building and enforcement of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Regarding economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the officials said the two sides have been actively coordinating to implement agreements and outcomes achieved at the 24th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and enhance exchanges between agencies, ministries, sectors and localities to soon outline action plans for specific implementation progress.

The Vietnamese top legislator suggested the Russian side consider simplifying import procedures for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products; push forward the negotiations, upgrade, amendment and supplementation of the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement, towards lifting two-way trade to 10 billion USD by 2030.

Chairman of Russian State Duma Volodin expressed his hope that the two legislatures will maintain high-level meetings in the time ahead, remarking that the Vietnam-Russia relationship is developing fruitfully. (Photo: VNA)

The two sides agreed that oil, gas and energy cooperation is an important pillar of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, and spoke highly of the results of the 3rd meeting of the Vietnam - Russia Cooperation Committee on education, science and technology in November 2022.

NA Chairman Hue thanked Russia for continuing to providing 1,000 scholarships for Vietnam each year, and suggested the Russian side continue to maintain and promote joint cooperation projects in the field of science and technology.

He said that Vietnam wishes to maintain the current forms and mechanisms for high-level and working-level meetings in various fields with Russia; promote cooperation in vocational education; soon resume and complete negotiations on a Government agreement on recruiting Vietnamese labourers to work in Russia; foster tourism cooperation; remove difficulties to reopen direct flights between the capitals of the two countries; and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities of the two nations.

Hue hoped that the parliament and government of Russia would continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Russia to stabilise their lives, integrate into the host community, thus contributing to the relations of the two countries.

The Russian legislative leader expressed support for the cooperation proposals of Chairman Hue, and emphasised the role of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the Vietnamese NA and the Russian State Duma in more thoroughly discussing these proposal, thus contributing to expanding the cooperation programme between the two legislative bodies and the two countries as well as strengthening supervision of the implementation of cooperation agreements between the two governments.

As for the conflict in Ukraine, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hoped the parties will seek diplomatic and peaceful solutions on the basis of the UN Charter and international law. He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to play an active role in the reconciliation processes.

NA Chairman Hue affirmed that Vietnam supports Russia in promoting its active role in Asia-Pacific in regional processes and issues; and is ready to act as a bridge promoting cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries. (Photo: VNA)

Regarding parliamentary cooperation, the officials agreed that this is one of the important pillars in the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

NA Chairman Hue expressed appreciation for contributions of the State Duma of Russia and Chairman Volodin personally in promoting bilateral relations, including cooperation between the two countries' parliaments. He thanked the Russian parliament for sending a delegation of parliamentarians to the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians hosted by the Vietnamese NA in Hanoi in September.

Hue urged the two sides to actively and effectively implement the operational orientations set by the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee - the first and only such inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism to date between the Vietnamese NA and and a foreign legislative body.

Chairman Volodin agreed with the proposals of NA Chairman Hue, expressing the belief that the relationship between the two legislative bodies and the two countries will continue to develop to new heights. He affirmed that he will do his best to promote the bilateral relations.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin at a photo exhibition on Vietnam - Russia relations in Hanoi on October 15, 2023. (Photo: VNA)

The Russian legislative leader took the occasion to invite NA Chairman Hue to pay an official visit to Russia and co-chair the third meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.