Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of Russia Konstantin Kosachev pledged to do his utmost to enhance Sputnik V vaccine supply to Viet Nam during his meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on September 27. 

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son meets Deputy Speaker of the Federation
Council of Russia Konstantin Kosachev, Moscow, Russia, September 27, 2021

At the meeting, both sides expressed delight on the development of the bilateral relationship in all spheres, including the ties between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Federation Council of Russia.

Viet Nam is the crucial and close partner of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region, asserted Konstantin Kosachev, adding that Viet Nam is the only country that Russian President Putin has visited five times, which is the evidence of the special ties between the two sides.

He underscored that the Federation Council of Russia advocates strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Viet Nam, fostering coordination to promote the ratification and implementation of agreements and continuing its support for Viet Nam, the first nation signing the Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. 

The Russian legislator expressed thanks to Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan for her acceptance to attend the Eurasian Women's Forum, which will take place virtually. 

For his side, FM Bui, who is on an official visit to Russia from September 25-28 at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. suggested the Federation Council of Russia continue playing the bridging role in assisting both sides’ localities in launching specific and practical cooperation in the upcoming time. 

He asked Russian side to provide vaccines and step up transfer of vaccine production technology to Viet Nam as well as backing support policy for Vietnamese community living, working and studying in Russia amidst COVID-19 outbreaks. 

During the working session with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the same day, Bui spoke highly the RDIF’s transfer of biological products to produce Sputnik V vaccine in Viet Nam.

Chief Executive Officer of the RDIF committed to speeding up the handover of Sputnik V vaccine for Viet Nam and willing to boost the vaccine production technology transfer to help the Southeast Asian nation to meet the domestic demands and export to other countries in the region. 

Earlier in June, Russia has agreed to provide 20 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine in 2021. The agreement was reached at a meeting between Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and the RDIF.

In July, Viet Nam manufactured the first test batch of COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V.