National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue welcomed and held talks with Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Parliament

On the afternoon of October 15, at the National Assembly House, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue chaired the solemn welcoming ceremony for the State Duma of the Russian Parliament Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin and the high-ranking Russian delegation.

Chủ tịch Quốc hội Vương Đình Huệ đón, hội đàm với Chủ tịch Duma Quốc gia Quốc hội Nga

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue welcomed Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Parliament Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin. (Source: VNA)

Immediately after the welcoming ceremony, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin led high-ranking delegations of the two countries to hold talks.

At the talks, on behalf of the Vietnamese National Assembly, the National Assembly Chairman warmly welcomed Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin and senior members of the State Duma of the Russian Parliament on an official visit to Vietnam.

The National Assembly Chairman stated that the Vietnamese National Assembly looks forward to and highly appreciates the significance of the visit, which is an important event, contributing to consolidating and enhancing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two National Assemblies in particular and between Vietnam and Russia in general.

The National Assembly Chairman also said that the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State attach great importance to the visit and on October 16, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will all have meetings with Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin.

Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin respectfully thanked National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue for inviting him to visit Vietnam officially; said he was looking forward to this visit and hoped that high-level contacts between the two countries' National Assemblies would be maintained regularly.

Overview of the meeting. (Source: VNA)

According to Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin, the Vietnam-Russia relationship is developing well. The two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership and can be said to be strategic friends. Therefore, the two National Assemblies need to contribute more to promoting bilateral relations. The two sides need to seek new forms of cooperation to further develop bilateral relations, including economic, trade, investment relations...

He said that the State Duma of the Russian Parliament has representatives from five political parties, but all parliamentarians wish for and support the development of cooperative relations with Vietnam. This is reflected in the composition of the delegation visiting Vietnam this time, which includes many leaders and representatives of political parties and extremely important committees of the State Duma and ministries and branches of the Russian Government. Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin also conveyed the greetings of the Chairmen of several political parties in the State Duma of the Russian Parliament to Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin said that in 2019, about 572,000 Russians visited and traveled in Vietnam; he hoped that both sides would create favorable conditions for people of the two countries to exchange, visit, and travel, and soon restore these numbers after the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin, Vietnam-Russia relations are developing well. (Source: VNA)

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue highly appreciated the delegation's visit to Vietnam this time; emphasizing that this is an important opportunity to discuss measures to strengthen relations between the two countries' National Assemblies and the two countries.

The National Assembly Chairman affirmed that Russia is always a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to consolidate and enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia through all channels of the Party, National Assembly, Government and people-to-people exchange.

Agreeing with Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin's assessment of the Vietnam-Russia relationship as a comprehensive strategic partnership and strategic friends, the National Assembly Chairman emphasized that the Party, State and people of Vietnam will forever be grateful for the great, wholehearted and righteous help and support that the former Soviet Union and Russia have given to Vietnam in the past struggle for national independence and national reunification as well as in the current cause of national construction and defense.

The National Assembly Chairman stated that Vietnam highly appreciates the role of political parties in Russia, as well as the achievements and results Russia has achieved under the leadership of President Putin. He congratulated the Russian Government for always maintaining social stability and becoming the leading economy in Europe, one of the five largest economies in the world in terms of purchasing power parity.

At the talks, the two Presidents were pleased to note that the bilateral relationship has recently seen many positive changes through high-level delegation exchanges; at the same time, they suggested that the two sides continue to increase the exchange of high-level delegations and all levels to continue promoting practical and effective relations and cooperation through all channels, especially the Party and Parliament channels.

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

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that Russia is always a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. (Source: VNA)

The two sides agreed to coordinate at multilateral forums, within ASEAN and the United Nations. In that spirit, they proposed that Russia support the stance of ASEAN and Vietnam in resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and through the Russia-ASEAN relationship, contribute as a positive factor in promoting the parties to soon build and implement the Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Discussing economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, the two Presidents assessed that the two sides have been actively coordinating to implement the agreements and results achieved at the 24th Session of the Russia-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation; enhancing exchanges between agencies, ministries, sectors and localities to soon agree on action plans for specific implementation progress.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue suggested that Russia study and consider simplifying import procedures for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products; promote negotiations, upgrades, amendments and supplements to the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)..., aiming to increase bilateral trade turnover to 10 billion USD by 2030.

The two sides assessed that oil and gas and energy cooperation is an important pillar of the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; highly appreciated the results of the 3rd Session of the Vietnam-Russia Cooperation Committee on Education, Science and Technology (November 2022). National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue thanked Russia for continuing to provide Vietnam with 1,000 scholarships each year; proposed to continue maintaining and promoting joint cooperation projects in the field of science and technology.

Vietnam wishes to continue maintaining forms and mechanisms of high-level and working-level contacts in various fields; promote cooperation in vocational education, soon resume and conclude negotiations on the Government Agreement on attracting and organizing recruitment of Vietnamese citizens to work in Russia; strengthen tourism cooperation; remove difficulties to reopen direct flights between the two capitals, promote people-to-people exchange and cooperation between localities, etc.

The National Assembly Chairman thanked and hoped that the Russian National Assembly and Government would continue to create conditions and care for the Vietnamese community in Russia to stabilize their lives, integrate into the local community, and contribute to the relationship between the two countries.

Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin expressed his support for the proposals of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on bilateral cooperation; said he would study them to include them in the agenda to make a substantial contribution to promoting relations between the two countries and their peoples.

The two sides agreed to coordinate at multilateral forums, within ASEAN and the United Nations. (Source: VNA)

Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin emphasized the role of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the State Duma of the Russian Federation (Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee) in discussing these proposals more thoroughly, thereby contributing to expanding the cooperation program between the two National Assemblies and the two countries as well as strengthening the supervision of the implementation of cooperation agreements between the two Governments.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his hope that all parties would seek diplomatic and peaceful solutions on the basis of the United Nations Charter and international law; affirming that Vietnam is ready to play an active role in the reconciliation process.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation, the two Presidents agreed that this is one of the important pillars in the cooperative relationship between the two countries. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his appreciation for the contributions of the Russian State Duma and Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin personally in promoting bilateral relations, including cooperation between the two countries' parliaments; thanked the Russian National Assembly for sending a delegation of parliamentarians to attend the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Hanoi hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly, making a positive contribution to the overall success of the Conference.

The National Assembly Chairman suggested that both sides actively and effectively implement the operational orientations of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, the first and only inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism to date between the Vietnamese National Assembly and a foreign legislative body. The two sides should increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially at high levels and at the level of the National Assembly's Committees, Friendship Parliamentarians' Groups, Women Parliamentarians' Groups, Young Parliamentarians' Groups, etc. to share experiences and enhance coordination, consultation, and mutual support in multilateral forums.

Agreeing with the proposals of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, emphasizing that the two sides have a solid foundation for their relationship, Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin expressed his belief that the relationship between the two National Assemblies and the two countries will continue to develop to new heights, affirming that he will do his utmost to promote bilateral relations.

On this occasion, Chairman Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin respectfully invited Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue to soon pay an official visit to Russia and co-chair the 3rd Session of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue respectfully thanked and happily accepted the invitation.

On the same evening, at the National Assembly House, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue hosted a reception for Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Parliament Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin and a high-ranking Russian delegation on an official visit to Vietnam.

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