People's diplomacy connects Vietnam-Russia friendship

Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Party Committee Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien received the Russian delegation led by Mr. Evgeny Dmitrievich Grigoriev attending the Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Taking place from September 30 to October 1, the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum organized by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) in coordination with the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association, the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Russia-Vietnam Cooperation Development Promotion Fund "Tradition and Friendship" was a great success.

On October 4, before leaving Vietnam, Member of the Saint Petersburg Government and Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Dmitrievich Grigoriev, Head of the Russian delegation attending the forum, gave an interview to TG&VN, sharing some thoughts, assessments and future cooperation plans of Saint Petersburg city with Vietnam.

Could you share your feelings about the atmosphere throughout the recent Vietnam-Russia People's Forum?

Meetings with Vietnamese friends and colleagues always have a special atmosphere. We feel the sincerity, positive attitude and willingness to engage in dialogue. This forum is no exception and has its own character.

The event, which was held for the first time, invited delegates from a wide range of fields – from science and business to medicine and culture. On the one hand, such diversity is significant because people-to-people diplomacy has no borders, and no degree in international relations is needed to build new and promising relationships between countries. On the other hand, we were also concerned about whether the delegates would be able to find common ground and establish connections.

In the end, all the working sessions and plenary sessions of the forum showed that our concerns were unnecessary. The participants made useful connections, some met old friends, and some – such as our medical specialists from the Napalkov Oncology Center in Saint Petersburg and the Friendship Hospital in Hanoi – even signed cooperation documents.

Therefore, with a positive atmosphere, the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum achieved remarkable results.

I would like to emphasize a key point that this forum was a great success thanks to the close coordination of the organizing committee - first of all the hosting units and the support from the Party, the Government of Vietnam and Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov.

I would also like to thank Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha for his active participation and wise proposals at the Forum; then, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Party Committee Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien met with the Russian delegation after the event, highly appreciated and wished to participate in the second Vietnam-Russia People's Forum, which will hopefully be held next year in Saint Petersburg.

Scene of a discussion session within the framework of the Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

We are deeply impressed by the active contribution of the leaders and people of Saint Petersburg, especially Governor Alexander Beglov and the City Committee for Foreign Affairs, to the development of relations between the Russian Federation and Vietnam. Could you please assess the opportunities and challenges in developing relations between Saint Petersburg? in particular, the Russian Federation in general, with Vietnamese partners and local authorities?

The northern capital of Russia has long been paying attention to the Southeast Asian region, with notable events in recent years. We have been strengthening cooperation with Vietnam since mid-2017. Since 2020, by the decision of the Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov, Vietnam has become a priority in the city's foreign relations.

Both sides have the opportunity to strengthen cooperation and develop joint projects. In recent years, an excellent foundation has been created for this effort. Saint Petersburg has become one of the leading localities in Russia in terms of quantity and quality of cooperation events with Vietnam. We have signed cooperation agreements with 5 cities and provinces across Vietnam. Hanoi and Dien Bien have recently become sister cities of Saint Petersburg. We hope to use our experience to develop these partnerships and look forward to mutual interest from our colleagues.

At the same time, we believe that there is great potential to strengthen economic relations and promote trade between the two sides. This is why our delegation on this occasion also includes representatives from various business sectors. A leading businessman, Mr. Duong Chi Kien, Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association in Saint Petersburg, represented the Vietnamese business community in Russia at the Forum.

The Saint Petersburg authorities strongly support contacts between representatives of the business community and see this as the first step towards building mutually beneficial partnerships.

Mr. Dmitrievich Grigoriev shared at the Forum. (Photo: Thanh Binh)

Could you share some of the outstanding results of the Forum as well as future cooperation plans and initiatives between the two sides?

I highly appreciate the plans and initiatives related to the forum. As I said, the forum has brought remarkable results with the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of education, science and economy. Moreover, the forum has created a foundation for establishing new cooperation bases between the two sides. Experts from Russia and Vietnam have the opportunity to meet, find common ground and lay the foundation for further development in the future.

I believe that this form of interaction has great potential. We have taken the first step and are ready to take the second. With the right approach, in just a few years our forum can become one of the main platforms for bilateral dialogue.

Our mission is to bring the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level. We want many people in Saint Petersburg from different walks of life and fields to know about Vietnam and the opportunities for cooperation with your country. We are ready to prepare right here and right now. In the immediate future, we want to promote cooperation in youth policy, cultural exchanges, projects in the fields of health and high technology.

For many years, the Saint Petersburg Committee for Foreign Affairs, together with the Union of Vietnamese Community Organizations in Russia, has been promoting the project of building a monument in Vietnam to commemorate Soviet and Vietnamese civilian experts who have made significant contributions to the reconstruction and development of the country. This monument could become a tangible symbol of the friendship between our two peoples. This idea was supported at the forum. We hope to share with you soon the steps we are taking to implement this idea.

Furthermore, we have proposed naming a street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City after the Leningrad-Petersburg Road. Such a street was inaugurated last March in Dien Bien Phu, the capital of the twinned region between the two sides.

These projects not only symbolize our brotherhood, but also arouse the interest of the people. This is how true diplomacy reaches the people, bringing countries closer together.

Thank you very much!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ngoai-giao-nhan-dan-ket-noi-tinh-huu-nghi-viet-nga-329933.html