Chairman of Russian State Duma's visit to Vietnam: Driving force for advancing high-level Vietnam-Russia agreements
WVR - On the occasion of the official visit to Vietnam by Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin (September 28-29), Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko shared his insights on the significance of the visit in promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam.
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| General Secretary To Lam receives Russian Prime Minister M.V. Mishustin during his official visit to Vietnam in January 2025. (Source: Nhan Dan) |
Ambassador, could you elaborate on the significance and key focuses of Chairman of Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin's visit to Vietnam?
First and foremost, I would like to emphasize that a regular and trustworthy political dialogue mechanism has been established between the two countries at all levels, including the highest level. This plays a crucial role in ensuring the continuous development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam.
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| Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko. (Source: Russian Embassy in Vietnam) |
The year began with the official visit to Vietnam by Russian Prime Minister M.V. Mishustin, during which both sides reached important cooperation agreements through a roadmap until 2030. In May, General Secretary To Lam visited Russia and attended the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Both sides signed significant bilateral agreements in oil and gas, education, and humanitarian fields.
Recently, on the occasion of multilateral events in China, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Over time, Russian delegations have visited Vietnam, including V.V. Yakushev, Secretary of the General Council of the All-Russian political party "United Russia" and Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia; N.P. Patrushev, Aide to the Russian President and Chairman of the Russian Maritime Board; and M.S. Murashko, Russian Minister of Health.
Additionally, we cannot overlook the participation of Russian military personnel in the 80th Anniversary of Vietnam's National Day and the joint parade at Ba Dinh Square.
The upcoming visit to Vietnam by State Duma Chairman V.V. Volodin continues the series of bilateral engagements this year.
One of the main objectives of this visit is for the parliaments of both countries to ensure oversight of the implementation of previously reached agreements across various fields, including trade and economy, energy, science and technology, education, culture, and humanitarian exchanges. The importance of this parliamentary oversight cannot be overstated.
It is hoped that the interactions between the leaders of the two countries on this occasion will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda and set future goals. Notably, the visit takes place during the year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the 80th anniversary of Russia's Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and 80th anniversary of Vietnam's Declaration of Independence.
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| Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia Vyacheslav Victorovich Volodin welcomes Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man during his visit to Russia in September 2024. (Source: VNA) |
Ambassador, how do you assess the role of parliamentary cooperation in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam? How will this role be implemented in the future?
The two countries are bound by a long-standing friendship and deep empathy. Vietnam is an important partner for Russia in Southeast Asia. We take pride in our significant contributions to the victory of the Vietnamese people in their struggle for independence and freedom, as well as our support during Vietnam's post-war reconstruction years.
The Russia-Vietnam relationship is diverse and developing in the spirit of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Legislative cooperation undoubtedly plays a crucial role. For instance, in recent years, the Chairman of the Federation Council has visited Vietnam three times, and the Chairman of the State Duma has made four official visits. Vietnamese parliamentary leaders have also visited our country multiple times.
Both sides have engaged in interactions within the framework of multilateral parliamentary organizations. On April 6, on the occasion of the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), and on July 30, within the framework of the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (Geneva, Switzerland), Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia V.I. Matviyenko met with Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.
In April, Nguyen Manh Tien, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Doan Thi Thanh Mai, Deputy Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Economic Committee, attended the International Forum of the Federal State "Great Heritage - Common Future" (Volgograd).
We highly value the organization of the fourth session of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee between the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the National Assembly of Vietnam during this visit. Both sides will comprehensively exchange legislative activities, the implementation of parliamentary oversight functions, and the adjustment of practical cooperation between the two countries, in line with current world conditions.
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| Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man receives Russian Ambassador Gennady Bezdetko in August 2024. (Source: VOV) |
What are the Ambassador's expectations for cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally?
We place great importance on continuing close cooperation in multilateral organizations between the parliaments of the two countries, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting, and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). The cooperation between the two parliaments is based on shared approaches to contemporary issues.
Recently, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Sh.V. Kara-ool and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man met on the sidelines of the 46th AIPA in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Both sides discussed prospects for cooperation through parliamentary committees and friendship groups, as well as specific steps for collaboration in political, economic, cultural, and educational fields.
We look forward to maintaining a close relationship between the parliaments of the two countries, contributing to the step-by-step implementation of agreements reached at the highest level, as well as strengthening the overall Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and Vietnam, for the prosperity of both nations and their peoples, and for peace and stability in the region and the world.
Thank you very much, Ambassador!
