Ambassador Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko affirmed that, in the context of Russia serving as the Chair of the BRICS group of emerging economies this year, Russia strongly supports Vietnam's participation in the organization.

Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko at the event. Photo: Lien Ha/The Hanoi Times

"Leaders from ministerial to high levels, from central to local authorities, are very supportive of countries, including Vietnam, joining BRICS," said the Russian Ambassador to Vietnam during a press briefing today [May 15].

The Ambassador emphasized that BRICS is increasingly asserting its role both regionally and globally, with member countries now occupying significant positions in the global economic landscape.

The bloc has a strong sense of solidarity and has great potential for development in the future. As it expands, BRICS continues to adopt open mechanisms and introduce many new ideas and development directions.

"I believe this form of cooperation is suitable for Vietnam," the Ambassador said.

Providing an update on Russia's political and economic situation, the Ambassador noted that by the end of 2023, Russia's GDP had grown by 3.6%.

Additionally, President Vladimir Putin was sworn in following the March 2024 elections, where he received widespread support with over 87% of the vote. Since then, the Russian President has outlined the country's development goals up to 2030, with a vision extending to 2036. These goals include improving welfare, supporting households, fostering talent and individual potential, educating patriotic and socially responsible citizens, ensuring safe living conditions, maintaining macroeconomic indicators, advancing technology management and digital economic transformation, and enhancing local governance.

One of Moscow's ambitious goals is to increase the number of foreign students at Russian universities by over 500,000 by 2036 and to achieve a 99% household internet penetration, he noted.

In foreign policy, Russia promotes a multipolar world order based on the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty, and mutual development, and is ready to cooperate with all countries in this direction.

"Asia is one of the regions where Russia focuses on long-term cooperation and priority, as 70% of Russia's territory belongs to this region," Ambassador Bezdetko said.

He added that ASEAN was an important priority, with Moscow supporting the bloc's central role in regional structures and actively participating in ASEAN mechanisms and events.

"Moscow and Hanoi have close and similar approaches to international agendas," the Ambassador emphasized.

Expressing joy over the strong friendship between the two countries, the Ambassador informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam during a phone call with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in March 2024. The visit will cover various areas of cooperation and is expected to deepen the bilateral ties further.

Although the exact date of President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vietnam has not yet been announced, the Ambassador confirmed that the visit would take place "in the near future."