Vietnam, Russia approach new era

President Truong Tan Sang made the remarks in an interview granted to the Russian News Agency Itar Tass on the eve of President Putin's third visit to Vietnam.

He said that Vietnam and the Russian Federation have enjoyed a long traditional friendship. The Vietnam-Russia Strategic Partnership was established in 2001, and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012.

This firm foundation has enabled bilateral relations between the two countries to improve in both scope and scale. Political relations have enjoyed a high level of confidence while bilateral economic co-operation has been very effective. Humanitarian co-operation has also been expanded.

"To create a new breakthrough in the near future, the two countries should focus on core areas, such as trade and energy - including oil, gas and nuclear power," the Vietnamese President stressed, adding that military techniques should also be studied and that special attention must be given to strategic projects.

Regarding trade, he said that the two sides should exert further efforts to negotiate and achieve an early signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Although bilateral trade turnover continues to increase (nearly US$2.5 billion in 2012 and US$1.8 billion in the first eight months of this year), it remains at a modest level, accounting for a small portion of the total import-export turnover of each nation.

The FTA will serve as a breakthrough to help increase trade between Vietnam and Russia to US$7 billion by 2015 and a much higher figure by 2020, he noted.

According to President Sang, in recent years, the two countries have co-operated closely and effectively on many large-scale projects looking for new oil and gas fields off the shore of Vietnam and in Russian territory. In addition to Vietsovpetro, the joint venture in oil and gas, the expanded co-operation has resulted in other joint ventures, such as Vietgazprom, Gazpromviet and Rusvietpetro.

Vietnam will continue to provide favourable conditions for Russian oil and gas companies to expand gas exploration and extraction on Vietnam's continental shelf.

Currently, Vietnam is working to complete its legal foundation for nuclear development and wants Russia to help Vietnam train highly skilled workers in the field of nuclear power, President Sang affirmed, adding that in the long run, the country wants to be able to master the technology, management and operation of the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant.

Construction on the Ninh Thuan plant is progressing steadily, and the two sides should ensure it is carried out safely, efficiently and with the highest quality

Under their comprehensive strategic partnership, the two nations have co-operated closely in every field with a high level of confidence, especially with regards to their fine relationship in national defence and security, he said.

Recently, the two sides have effectively implemented all agreements and contracts signed by their leaders. In addition, meetings and exchanges at all levels, including meetings between top leaders of the two countries, have been organised. These involve a series of annual talks, including strategic dialogues on National Defence and Security and multilateral co-operation at the ADMM+. Such meetings have enabled leaders of both countries to discuss co-operative measures on national defence, security and on peace and co-operation in the region and around the world.

Vietnam-Russia military technical co-operation is a traditional field. This co-operation has constantly developed in line with international laws and practice. In the near future, the countries should raise military co-operation to a higher plane. In addition, the two nations will continue to co-operate in military training, in scientific research and in technology transfer.

In the context of rapid changes in the region and worldwide, the president stated that the two sides need to further tighten their co-operation in the field of national defence and security so that they can contribute to economic development in each country while strongly promoting the development of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership and actively contributing to peace, stability and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific and around the world.

Regarding Russia-ASEAN ties, President Sang confirmed ASEAN's consistent policy of promoting and expanding relations with other partners, including Russia, on the basis of friendship and equality in the interest of peace, stability and common prosperity. In reality, the ASEAN-Russian relationship has developed strongly in security, politics, economics, culture and development co-operation.

Being a traditional friend of Russia, he reiterated that Vietnam greatly values Russia's role and supports closer ties with the grouping. After becoming an official member of ASEAN in 1995, Vietnam backed Russia to become a full Dialogue Partnership member of ASEAN in July 1996. It was the first country to take the role as a co-ordinator of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue in the period 1996-1999.

In 2010, as Chair of ASEAN, Vietnam successfully hosted the second ASEAN-Russia Summit. And at the fifth East Asia Summit, Vietnam actively supported Russia's joining the event. Vietnam is willing to continue to act as a bridge for ASEAN-Russian co-operation in the period 2005-2015.

President Putin's upcoming visit to Vietnam has a special significance for bilateral relations, President Sang said, adding that it will be the catalyst to promoting the implementation of the comprehensive strategic partnership that the two countries have established.

The visit is an occasion for the two State leaders to evaluate opportunities and look for measures to solve present challenges. They will work to build consensus on future orientations to ensure the co-operation stays on the path to high efficiency and quality. They will also review the implementation of agreements reached between Vietnamese and Russian senior officials, as well as the progress of major projects between the two countries.

President Sang said that, during his meeting with his Russian counterpart, he will talk about orientations and specific measures to improve co-operation between the two nations, including that on politics, economics, trade, investment, oil and gas projects, the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant, military technical co-operation, strategic co-operation in the field of technology and education and many others.

"We will discuss international and regional issues of mutual concern, the existing co-operation between Vietnam and Russia in the framework of UN mechanisms, the co-operation between the two nations in APEC or in organisations that ASEAN plays a key role as in the ARF, East Asia Summit, ASEM and others", he said.

He expressed his belief that the visit will manifest the willingness and resolve of Vietnam and Russia to take the strategic partnership to a higher level.

(Source: Nhandannewspaperonline)