Alexander Novak holds working meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak held a working meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
The officials discussed cooperation in the fuel and energy complex, nuclear energy and renewable energy sources, interaction in the agricultural sector, tourism, finance and banking, as well as in education, scientific and technical cooperation, and culture.
As per the fuel and energy complex, they focused on the operating conditions of the Vietsovpetro joint venture in Vietnam, including opportunities for its participation in new field development projects on the country’s sea shelf.
Vietnam is contemplating construction of a joint Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology; the project’s feasibility study is underway. Russia is ready to participate in the construction of both a large NPP and land-based or floating small-capacity reactors in Vietnam, and also offered the services of domestic companies in building new renewable energy facilities.
In 2023, trade between Russia and Vietnam increased by 8.3 compared to 2022, and in the first half of 2024, trade went up by 21.5 percent. Exports from Russia to Vietnam grew by 73.2 percent and imports from Vietnam by 8.8 percent.
Russia supplies Hanoi with fuel, ferrous metals, agricultural products, fertiliser, wood and plastic products. Electronics and mobile phones, textiles and footwear, food and agricultural products are imported.
In 2023, 125,000 Russian tourists visited Vietnam. In January-September 2024, tourist flow from Russia to Vietnam increased by 80 percent year-on-year. Our countries are in talks about raising the number of direct and charter flights to the country.
“We hope on your assistance in promoting the Russian language in Vietnam, including the capacities of the Hanoi branch of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. We plan to use it a basis for creating a regional centre for studying the Russian language in South-East Asia. The Russian-Vietnamese Consortium of Technical Universities will contribute to the development of scientific and technical cooperation,” noted Alexander Novak.
