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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ladies and gentlemen, friends, colleagues,

It is common knowledge that Russia and Vietnam have long established traditionally friendly and very strong strategic relations. We maintain a continuous dialogue with the leaders of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The talks that we have just finished were conducted in a constructive and friendly manner. They were attended by senior officials from our agencies and the top management of our leading companies.

We discussed almost all of the relevant issues of Russian−Vietnamese cooperation. The main point I would like to stress is that Russia and Vietnam are strategic partners and cooperation is always developed under the principles of mutual respect, equality and consideration for each other’s interests.

Next year, we will celebrate 25 years of the Agreement On Friendly Relations Between Vietnam and Russia.

Russia and Vietnam will continue intensive contacts at various levels. Our specific plans are outlined in the joint statement that we have just released. Russia is interested in close foreign political coordination with our Vietnamese partners.

This is, to a large extent, due to the similar approaches of Russia and Vietnam to international and regional issues. We are interested in intensifying military and technical cooperation with regard to defence and security.

During the talks, we particularly focused on expanding our cooperation in trade and the economy. Last year, our trade increased by 36.5 percent to a record $6 billion. Over the first six months of this year, we created a positive dynamic. Our mutual trade increased another 18 percent.

We will continue to promote the Agreement On Free Trade between Background information Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam that took effect in 2016.

We have agreed to address the issue of extending reciprocal deliveries, above all, by increasing the share of science-based and high-tech products. We have agreed to expand the use of national currencies in bilateral deals.

The Intergovernmental Commission is also actively promoting the implementation of 17 priority investment projects worth several billion dollars. These projects include such areas as energy, engineering, communications, telecommunications, metallurgy, aviation, transport, infrastructure, consumer goods, chemical production, and mineral extraction.

We will also expand cooperation in the oil and gas sector. All Russia’s largest oil and gas companies work in Vietnam as well as Petrovietnam in Russia. Joint enterprises – Vietsovpetro, Rusvietperto and Gaspromviet – successfully extract hydrocarbons. For example, Vietsovpetro has already extracted 230 million tonnes of oil. This company accounts for about a third of Vietnamese oil production.

During this visit, we have signed an agreement that envisages the Vietsovpetro joint enterprise’s access to new fields on the Vietnamese shelf.

Our companies also refine oil and plan to supply liquefied natural gas to Vietnam, produce and sell engine fuel, and build the necessary infrastructure.

There also are good opportunities for electricity. Our company Silovye Machiny (Power Machines) is building the Long Phu 1 thermal power plant. Russian enterprises are interested in joining the upgrade process of power plants built in Vietnam with support of the USSR as well as the construction of new power stations. The project to establish a centre for nuclear science and technology in Vietnam is also being developed.

The Vietnamese business community shows interest in constructing large agricultural complexes in Russian regions. Mr Nguyen Phu Trong plans to visit the Kaluga Region and take part in the ground-breaking ceremony of a large agricultural enterprise, agricultural cluster, with participation of Vietnamese investors. We hope that such projects will be implemented in Russia: in Siberia and the Far East.

We also focus on our cooperation in the cultural sphere. The cooperation programme between the Russian and Vietnamese ministries of culture we have approved today envisages a series of large events, including those that will be held next year as part of the reciprocal years in Russia and Vietnam.

Over 6,000 Vietnamese students study at our universities. We provide about 950 educational grants for Vietnamese citizens from the Russian federal budget every year. Vietnam is growing more popular with Russians as a tourism destination: the number of tourists grew 30 percent last year to over 500,000.

We have agreed to continue to coordinate our work on the global stage. We are aiming at further fruitful cooperation with our Vietnamese partners in APEC and other multilateral organisations and forums of the Asia-Pacific region.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr Nguyen Phu Trong and all our Vietnamese friends for the detailed and substantive talks. The General Secretary’s visit to Russia will, of course, give a good boost to the development of bilateral relations in all the strategic areas.

Thank you for your attention.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong (retranslated): Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

It is a pleasure to visit Russia – a very beautiful country that is close to all the people of Vietnam – once again at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. We have held very substantive talks in a friendly, open and sincere atmosphere. We have had a detailed discussion of Russia-Vietnam relations, including the areas to promote our comprehensive strategic partnership, and also discussed all the international and regional issues of mutual interest.

President Putin and I noted that our countries’ leaders and people have always cared about the tradition of good friendship between Russia and Vietnam. Despite the changes in the world and difficulties in regional development, the relations of comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation will continue to develop in the long-term interests of our people, for the prosperity of Vietnam and Russia and also for peace, cooperation and development in the region and all over the world.

We agreed to consistently step up the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation under new conditions, jointly deepen bilateral political ties and strategic solidarity, and increase cooperation efficiency in all spheres, particularly trade, economic, investment, defence, military and technical cooperation.

We also agreed with President Putin to create further favourable conditions for expanding ties between the business communities of the two countries, and favourable conditions for investment activities of our companies operating in the two countries, particularly in the oil and gas, energy and agriculture sectors, as well as in transport infrastructure construction.

We have discussed international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed that maintaining peace, stability and our mutual trust are the basic factors in securing stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

We are united in believing that every dispute, including territorial, border and other ones in the Asia-Pacific region, should be resolved peacefully without resorting to force or the threat of using force, including through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to support peace and stability as well as free and safe sea and air navigation in the region.

We support and advocate the full observance of the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea, and speak in favour of a prompt adoption of a Code of Conduct of the parties as a legally binding document.

Vietnam supports Russia's present policy of development, and thinks highly of Russia's role in and contribution to securing peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, particularly Russia's efforts in fighting international terrorism and settling conflicts in the world.

I am confident that my current visit will give a new impetus to the further strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

I would like to once more express gratitude to President Putin, the Russian Government and all Russian people for the warm welcome extended to me and our delegation.