Deputy FM Le Thi Thu Hang: Prime Minister’s Russia visit yields substantial, multifaceted results
WVR - On March 26, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang shares with The World and Vietnam Report the outcomes of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính's visit to Russia.
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. (Photo: Bảo Chi) |
Could you highlight the key aspects of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính's official visit to the Russian Federation?
As you know, at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh officially visited the Russian Federation from March 22-25, 2026.
This marked the first visit by a key Vietnamese leader to Russia following the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils elections.
In just 72 hours, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh engaged in a packed schedule with nearly 30 activities, including meetings and discussions with top Russian leaders such as President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matvienko, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, and Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu. He also visited leading Russian economic, scientific, and educational institutions, attended the Vietnam-Russia Business Forum, and met with numerous leading Russian enterprises.
Additionally, the Prime Minister took time to meet and express thanks to many traditional friends from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Veterans Association, and the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association. Upon arriving in Moscow, he met with nearly 300 Vietnamese expatriates and students residing there.
Through discussions with Russian leaders, both sides reached a high consensus on deepening political trust and mutual understanding between the two nations and peoples, building on the existing foundation of traditional friendship.
During the exchanges, Russian leaders, representatives from political parties in the Russian State Duma, and leading Russian corporations affirmed their support for promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership, benefiting the peoples of both countries and contributing to peace, cooperation, stability, and development in the region and globally.
Through meetings with corporations and enterprises, both sides approved and signed numerous agreements in areas aligned with Vietnam's development needs and goals in the new era, such as nuclear energy, peaceful use of nuclear power, enhanced oil and gas exploration on each other's territories, transportation connectivity, and cooperation in metro development, a field where Russia excels in both technology and experience.
The signing of the agreement to construct the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant is a historic event. This will be a new symbol of Vietnam-Russia relations in the future, akin to the friendship monuments of the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant and Thang Long Bridge in the past.
Through engagements with educational and scientific research institutions, both countries also agreed to promote cooperation in basic research and high-quality human resource training, particularly in digital technology, new technology, biomedicine, transportation, basic sciences, and academic arts.
This direction is appropriate given the historical cooperation in education, where the former Soviet Union and now Russia have helped Vietnam develop a highly skilled workforce of leaders, experts, artists, and scholars across various fields.
With the goal of rapid, strong, and sustainable national development, using science, technology, and innovation as the central driving force, Russia will continue to be a reliable partner accompanying Vietnam in the new era.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Russian leaders are keen to promote cultural exchanges, regularly organizing cultural days and art performances in each country to enhance mutual understanding and closeness, especially among the younger generations. They also agreed to facilitate travel for citizens of both countries.
Both sides acknowledged the bridging role of the Vietnamese community in Russia, as well as entrepreneurs and intellectuals trained and grown in Russia, in bilateral relations. The Russian side affirmed its commitment to facilitating the settlement and integration of the Vietnamese community and supporting Vietnamese enterprises in investing favorably, contributing to the traditional friendship between the two nations.
In conclusion, it can be said that the visit was highly successful, achieving substantial and multifaceted results with a centennial strategic vision, meeting all set objectives and requirements, and reflecting the shared understanding of both countries in redefining and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.
What steps will both sides take in the near future to promote bilateral relations as agreed upon during the visit?
In the spirit of "turning will into action, turning decisions into concrete results" as directed by General Secretary To Lam, and the determination to implement the "six clears" by the Prime Minister, I believe there are several major directions:
Firstly, both sides need to leverage existing cooperation mechanisms, such as inter-governmental committees, inter-parliamentary cooperation committees, and working groups to promote bilateral cooperation.
Ministries, sectors, and localities on both sides should actively implement the agreements reached, proactively develop roadmaps and implementation plans, clearly identify key tasks and priorities, seek breakthrough solutions, and promptly address difficulties to prevent technical issues from affecting overall cooperation.
Secondly, both sides should promptly begin implementing the agreements reached in areas such as energy security, transportation, logistics, and science and technology to meet national development goals.
The Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project should be expedited; oil and gas exploration should be expanded through Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro joint ventures; and rail, air, and sea transportation connectivity should be enhanced.
Thirdly, promote cooperation in the humanities. Both sides should enhance cooperation in education and training, science and technology, especially in high-quality human resource training and basic research. Language teaching should be promoted in both countries; cultural, sports, and artistic exchanges should be organized regularly and diversely, not only to promote tourism but also to educate the public, especially the younger generation, about the special friendship between the two nations.
Fourthly, local cooperation should continue to expand. Currently, there are 20 local partnerships between the two countries, and many more localities in both nations are eager to connect and explore new cooperation potentials. This is an area of great interest and encouragement from the leaders of both countries.
Finally, attention should continue to be given to the Vietnamese community in Russia. This is a valuable and important resource in connecting the two nations and should continue to receive attention from the Party and State, as well as support and favourable conditions from local authorities, to ensure the community can live, work, and study with peace of mind, contributing positively to the socio-economic development of both countries and the bond between the two nations and peoples.
I am confident that with the efforts and determination of the leaders and the decisive implementation by ministries, sectors, and localities of both countries, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia will thrive, making a worthy contribution to the socio-economic development of each country in the new era.
