Putin urges Vietnamese PM to redouble efforts for expansion of trade

SOCHI, May 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Friday. He told his interlocutor it was important to redouble efforts for stepping up bilateral; economic relations, the presidential press service said. "I think the especial character of Russian-Vietnamese relations doesn’t need any especial promotion," Putin said. "Beyond any doubt, relations between our two countries are based on trust, mutual trust and assistance." "If someone decides to count all the areas of our cooperation, then the Russian-Vietnamese trade turnover grew 4% in last year," Putin said. "As for the first quarter of this year, Russian-Vietnamese trade shot up by 20%, and still both sides need more strenuous wok to improve the structure of our trade." Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on his part Vietnam shows particular attention to relations with Russia and cherishes the feelings, which the Russian leader has for the Vietnamese people. He also told Putin he had had bilateral talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on the eve of his arrival in Sochi. The two Prime Ministers signed eight agreements on cooperation in a variety of areas. As an example, he cited a project of a dairy factory in the Moscow region - a project that according to Prime Minister Nguyen will cost an estimated $ 2.7 billion. He also told Putin about the 12th Congress of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, saying it underlined the resolve and political will of the entire Vietnamese leaderships to maintain the course at consolidating and promulgating strategic partnership with Russia. Read more