The 15th meeting of the Viet Nam-Russia Inter-governmental Committee for Economic, Trade, Science and Technological Cooperation, Moscow, Russia, October 17, 2012 - Photo: VGP

(VOV) - The 15^th session of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation opened in Moscow yesterday. Committee members reviewed activities from the previous sessions and evaluated the minutes of last November’s meeting. Both sides agreed on the need to have more breakthrough measures to boost bilateral economic and trade relations.  They include the early negotiation and signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Russia- Kazakhstan-Belarus Customs Alliance, and establishing a joint working group to accelerate already existing projects. Delegates discussed the signing of a roadmap to implement the Vietnam – Russia joint action plan in economics, trade, and investment until 2015. They initiated ways to further bilateral cooperation in the energy, industry, and science and technology sectors. The agreed on the need for additional collaboration in agriculture, finance and banking, information and communication, and healthcare. Boosting cooperative ties among provinces of the two countries is considered a high priority for the near future.

VOV correspondents in Russia