People-to-people diplomacy deepens Vietnam–Russia friendship: Saint Petersburg official
WVR - The Vietnam-Russia People's Forum concluded successfully, laying the groundwork for estabblishing a regular people-to-people diplomacy platform to connect the citizens of both countries.
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| Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and President the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien received the Russian delegation led by Mr. Evgeny Grigoriev attending the Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Held from September 30 to October 1, the first Vietnam–Russia People’s Forum, organized by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) in collaboration with the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations, the Vietnam–Russia Friendship Association, the Russia–Vietnam Friendship Association, and the “Tradition and Friendship” Russia–Vietnam Cooperation Development Fund, concluded successfully.
On October 4, before departing Vietnam, Mr. Evgeny Dmitrievich Grigoriev, Member of the Saint Petersburg Government, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg, and Head of the Russian delegation attending the Forum, granted an interview to The World and Vietnam Report, sharing his thoughts, assessments, and future cooperation plans between Saint Petersburg and Vietnam.
Could you share your impressions of the atmosphere throughout the recent Vietnam-Russia People's Forum?
Meetings with Vietnamese friends and colleagues always carry a special atmosphere. We felt sincerity, a positive attitude, and a spirit ready for dialogue. This forum was no exception and had its unique charm.
Being the first event of its kind, delegates from various fields were invited – from science, business to healthcare and culture. On one hand, such diversity is meaningful as people-to-people's diplomacy knows no borders and requires no international relations degree to build new and promising relationships between nations. On the other hand, we were concerned whether the delegates could find common ground and establish connections.
Ultimately, all working sessions and plenary meetings of the forum showed that our concerns were unnecessary. Participants made useful connections, some reunited with old friends, and some – like our medical experts from the Napalkov Oncology Center in Saint Petersburg and the Friendship Hospital in Hanoi – even signed cooperation documents.
Thus, with a positive atmosphere, the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum achieved remarkable results.
I want to emphasize a key point that this forum's success was due to the close coordination of the organizers – primarily the leading units and the support from the Party, the Government of Vietnam, and Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov.
I also wish to express my gratitude to Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha for his active participation and insightful suggestions at the Forum; subsequently, Politburo member, Central Committee Secretary, and President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien met with the Russian delegation after the event, highly appreciating and expressing the desire to participate in the second Vietnam-Russia People's Forum, hopefully to be held next year in Saint Petersburg.
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| Overview from a discussion session within the Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
We are very impressed by the positive contributions of the leadership and people of Saint Petersburg, especially Governor Alexander Beglov and the city's External Relations Committee, to the development of relations between the Russian Federation and Vietnam. Could you assess the opportunities and challenges in developing relations between Saint Petersburg specifically, and the Russian Federation in general, with Vietnamese partners and local authorities?
Russia's northern capital has long paid attention to Southeast Asia with notable events in recent years. We have strengthened cooperation with Vietnam since mid-2017. Since 2020, by decision of Governor Alexander Beglov, Vietnam has become a priority in the city's foreign relations.
Both sides have opportunities to enhance cooperation and develop joint projects. In recent years, a great foundation has been laid for this effort. Saint Petersburg has become one of Russia's leading localities in terms of the number and quality of cooperation events with Vietnam. We have signed cooperation agreements with five cities and provinces across Vietnam. Hanoi and Dien Bien have recently become sister cities with Saint Petersburg. We hope to leverage our experience to develop these partnerships and look forward to mutual interest from our colleagues.
At the same time, we believe there is great potential to strengthen economic relations and boost trade between the two sides. This is why our delegation this time also included representatives from various business sectors. A leading businessman, Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Saint Petersburg Duong Chi Kien represented the Vietnamese business community operating in Russia at the Forum.
The Saint Petersburg government strongly supports interactions among representatives of business community and sees this as the first step towards building mutually beneficial partnerships.
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| Member of the Saint Petersburg Government, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg Evegeny Grigoriev speaking at the meeting with Politburo member, President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien. (Photo: Courtesy by author) |
Could you share some of the standout 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 mentioned, the Forum yielded remarkable results with cooperation documents signed in education, science, and economics. Moreover, the Forum laid the foundation for establishing new cooperation bases between the two sides. Experts from Russia and Vietnam had the opportunity to meet, find common ground, and lay the groundwork for future development.
I believe this form of interaction holds great potential. We have taken the first step and are ready to take the second. With the right approach, within just a few years, our forum could become one of the main platforms for bilateral dialogue.
Our mission is to elevate the Vietnam–Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level. We would like more residents of Saint Petersburg, from a wide range of backgrounds and fields, to learn about Vietnam and the opportunities for joint projects with your country. Therefore, we are not just interested in continuing this work — we are ready to carry it out right here and now. In the near future, we aim to promote cooperation in youth policy, cultural exchanges, healthcare, and high technology. All of this is entirely achievable.
For many years, the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg, along with the Union of Vietnamese Community Organizations in Russia, has been promoting a project to build a monument in Vietnam to commemorate Soviet and Vietnamese civilian experts who 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 received support at the Forum. We hope to soon share with you the steps we are taking to implement this idea.
Furthermore, we have proposed naming a street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City after Leningrad-Petersburg Street. Such a street was inaugurated last March in Dien Bien Phu, the township of our sister region.
These projects not only symbolize our fraternal ties, they also spark a new wave of mutual interest from the people. This is how diplomacy truly reaches the people, bringing nations closer together. And that is, in fact, our main goal. This is people to people’s diplomacy.
Thank you very much!
