Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Vietnamese top leaders that Vietnam is one of Russia’s important and trustworthy traditional partners in Asia-Pacific.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Hanoi on July 6. Photos: VNA, Baoquocte

Lavrov stressed the view at meetings with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on July 6.

“Naturally, our friendship and our solidarity are based on deep historical roots,” Lavrov said at the meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Russia News Agency reported.   

The Russian FM expressed his hope that the two countries will continue making efforts for effective results of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which entered its 10th year in 2022.

Lavrov’s two-day visit to Hanoi comes at the invitation of FM Bui Thanh Son as the two nations mark the 10th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

In the meeting with Lavrov, Son affirmed Vietnam’s gratitude toward Russian assistance to Vietnam in wartime and its development, stating that Russia remains one of the key partners in Vietnam’s foreign affairs policy.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In separate meetings with Lavrov, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, PM Chinh, and FM Son reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on independent, self-reliant foreign policy and international cooperation to firmly protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including Ukraine arm conflicts.

Relations between Vietnam and Russia have been strengthened over recent years. Bilateral trade hit US$7.1 billion in 2021 following a 25% jump from 2020. Russia has 151 projects in Vietnam with a total investment of more than $950 million.

The two sides agreed to remove hurdles in trade, investment, and transportation to take advantage of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU – Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan).

Vietnam and Russia have close ties dating back to the Soviet era. Vietnam and the then Soviet Union established diplomatic relations in 1950. Vietnam and Russia elevated the relations to Strategic Partnership in 2001 and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership 11 years later.

The two countries issued a joint statement on the vision of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership until 2030 during Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Russia between November 29 and December 2, 2021.

The Russian foreign minister is due to fly on to Indonesia to attend a meeting of G20 foreign ministers this week.

Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.