Vietnam supports strengthening ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership: Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi
WVR - According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's visit to Russia and participation in the ASEAN-Russia Summit occurs at a crucial time for the relations between the two countries and is particularly significant for ASEAN-Russia relations in general, and Vietnam-Russia relations in particular.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi in an interview with VNA in Russia. (Source: VNA) |
Creating new momentum for cooperative relations
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung will lead a high-level Vietnamese delegation to attend the ASEAN-Russia 35th Anniversary Summit and engage in bilateral activities in Kazan, Russia, from June 16-18, 2026.
In an interview with Vietnamese media ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi noted that the visit holds special significance.
Firstly, this marks Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's first attendance at a high-level summit between ASEAN and Russia in his capacity as Prime Minister. This summit is also a significant milestone in the ASEAN-Russia cooperation journey. Over the past 35 years (1991-2026), ASEAN-Russia relations have seen positive developments, especially since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2018.
The summit will outline strategic cooperation directions for the new phase to continue strengthening the Strategic Partnership between ASEAN countries and Russia, creating new momentum for multifaceted, mutually beneficial cooperation that meets the interests of both sides amid rapidly evolving global and regional situations. It is also an opportunity for ASEAN countries and Russia to discuss international and regional issues of mutual concern.
According to Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi, Vietnam supports enhancing the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership, promoting effective dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as economy-trade, energy, science-technology, education-training, addressing non-traditional security challenges, expanding cooperation between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, and strengthening coordination with Russia within the ASEAN-Russia cooperation framework. Effective ASEAN-Russia cooperation will be a solid foundation and practical support to promote Vietnam-Russia bilateral cooperation.
Secondly, this is Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's second overseas trip as Prime Minister (he attended the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines in May 2026) and his first visit to Russia, demonstrating Vietnam's prioritization of Russia in its foreign relations.
Following significant diplomatic activities with Russia immediately after the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the visit reaffirms the Vietnamese leadership and people's commitment to the traditional friendship with Russia, and their desire and determination to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in the new era of national development, maintaining positive development momentum while maximizing potential and creating new momentum for bilateral cooperation.
Thirdly, the visit provides an opportunity for leaders of both sides to review, discuss, and agree on directions and measures to promote the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In addition to the ASEAN-Russia Summit program, the Prime Minister is expected to have bilateral meetings with Russian counterparts, including at the highest level, to establish working relations in his new role, enhance political trust between senior leaders of the two countries, review the implementation of reached agreements, and promote comprehensive cooperation across various fields, focusing on key energy cooperation, particularly the implementation of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant project based on the signed intergovernmental agreement and long-term oil and gas cooperation.
Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi affirmed that Prime Minister Le Minh Hung's visit to Russia and participation in the ASEAN-Russia Summit occur at a highly significant time for the relations between the two countries and are particularly special for ASEAN-Russia relations in general, and Vietnam-Russia relations in particular.
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| The 22nd ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) took place on April 20-21 in Kazan, Russia, with the participation of senior officials from 11 ASEAN member countries and Russia. Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the ASEAN-Vietnam SOM, led the Vietnamese delegation. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
Foundation for further and higher development
Regarding the current Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi stressed that 2026 is an exceptionally vibrant year in the relations between Vietnam and Russia. Immediately after the conclusion of the 14th Party Congress, Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first foreign leader to call and congratulate General Secretary To Lam.
In 2026, Vietnam also sent Special Envoy, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung to Russia to inform about the results of the 14th National Party Congress and had a direct meeting with President Putin, conveying a clear message to Russian leaders: Effective, mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia is a goal Vietnam aims to achieve to fulfill the strategic tasks set by the 14th Party Congress.
In March 2026, the Vietnamese Prime Minister also visited Russia, held talks with his Russian counterpart, and met with President Putin, during which a series of issues were discussed. Two Deputy Prime Ministers and several Ministers also visited Russia afterward.
“It can be said that the frequency of visits, meetings, and phone calls between senior leaders of our two countries has been intense over the past two years. What is even more encouraging is the candid, friendly, and substantive spirit of exchanges between the leaders of the two countries,” Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi emphasized.
Additionally, according to the Ambassador, in other areas, defense-security cooperation has developed positively, especially with expanded cooperation in the maritime field. Bilateral trade is also regaining positive growth momentum, with trade turnover in 2025 reaching 4.77 billion USD, and the first four months of 2026 reaching 1.72 billion USD (an increase of 9.22% compared to the same period in 2025).
Oil and gas, energy cooperation – one of the pillars of cooperation between Vietnam and Russia – continues to be strengthened. Notably, the signing of the intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant opens a new phase in energy cooperation as well as science-technology cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, associated with economic prospects and the development of the nuclear industry in the future. This will be a long-term strategic project and a symbol of Vietnam-Russia cooperation in the new context.
Moreover, tourism cooperation has achieved impressive growth thanks to the increased frequency of direct flights: The number of Russian tourists to Vietnam in the first five months of 2026 reached 618,000, an increase of 194% compared to the same period in 2025, with forecasts for the entire year potentially exceeding 1 million visitors, far surpassing the pre-COVID-19 period. Russia is currently Vietnam's largest tourist market in Europe and the third largest in the world, after China and the Republic of Korea.
In 2026, the two sides implemented the Cross Vietnam-Russia Year of Science-Education Cooperation, with the highlight being the third Vietnam-Russia University Presidents Conference held from May 22-23 in Vietnam, facilitating connections and the signing of numerous cooperation agreements between higher education institutions of the two countries. Cultural connections, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between localities of the two countries have also been developing dynamically, exemplified by the first-ever Vietnam Cultural Festival held at Red Square, Moscow, in July 2025, attracting nearly 1 million visitors in just 10 days.
“Overall, Vietnam-Russia relations have all the necessary foundations to reach further and develop higher, meeting the aspirations of both sides. This includes political will, shared understanding and long-term vision of the leaders of the two countries regarding the future of Vietnam-Russia relations, the strong traditional friendship foundation, and the significant cooperation achievements over more than 70 years,” Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi pointed out.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi and his spouse at the 2025 Vietnam Cultural Festival in Moscow. (Source: Nhan Dan Newspaper) |
Additionally, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi affirmed that Vietnam has made the most positive contributions to the relationship between Russia and ASEAN, turning the Russia-ASEAN relationship into a model of relations between a major power and an organization, contributing to the cause of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.
In that spirit, this visit by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung will be the next step in implementing the consistent policy of strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, developing long-term, substantive, and effective cooperation, seizing new opportunities to expand and elevate bilateral cooperation as agreed by the senior leaders of the two countries.
“I truly hope and believe that the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, especially the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Putin, will yield substantial results, significantly contributing to and promoting the strong, stable, and effective development of bilateral relations in all fields, especially those of mutual interest,” expressed Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi.
