Aleksey Popov, Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City (Source: VNA)

Aleksey Popov, Russian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, told a press conference in HCM City today/ Friday, that Russia always regards Vietnam as a trust-worthy partner and a long-standing friend, and is determined to expand the comprehensive strategic partnership. He said that bilateral political ties have also developed dynamically in 2017, as reflected through all-level meetings between the two countries.

Economic and trade cooperation has made remarkable strides with two-way trade reaching nearly 4 billion USD in the first ten months of the year, up 36 percent year-on-year. The flow of Russian investment into Vietnam totaled 2 billion USD while Vietnam’s investment in Russia hit 2.9 billion USD.

Progress has been made in security and national defense cooperation through the regular exchange of delegations and effective operation of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Technological and Defense Cooperation. Popov reviewed partnerships between Vietnamese and Russian provinces and cities as well as bilateral collaboration in culture and education.  According to the Consul General, 2018 is expected to witness various activities aiming to step up the Russia-Vietnam relationship, with a range of dialogues and high-level delegation exchanges.