Relations with Vietnam remain priority for Russia’s policy in Asia-Pacific region - ambassador

HANOI, March 20. /TASS/. Cementing and cultivating ties based on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam is a priority for Russia’s policy in the Asia-Pacific region, Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov said on Wednesday. "The development of relations based on comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, our country’s long-term and reliable friend, is an absolute priority for Russia’s policy in the Asia-Pacific region," the diplomat stressed giving a lecture in Vietnam’s Diplomatic Academy. He drew attention to the fact that cooperation between Russia and Vietnam was based on the rich experience accumulated over seven decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations and traditional friendship. At the current stage, the political dialogue between Russia and Vietnam is characterized by an unprecedented degree of trust and efficiency, the ambassador said. This is confirmed by three major bilateral visits that took place in 2018, specifically, the visit by General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong to Russia and the visits by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Speaker of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Vyacheslav Volodin to Vietnam. According to the ambassador, trade and economic cooperation is one of the most important components of relations between Moscow and Hanoi. "In 2018, bilateral trade turnover grew more than 15% exceeding $6 bln. That was possible largely due to the entry into force of an agreement on a free trade zone between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, which, in addition to Russia, includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Our common market has 180 mln consumers," Vnukov pointed out. Factor of maintaining regional security The ambassador expressed confidence that efforts aimed at cultivating and cementing ties between Russia and Vietnam will continue to be an important factor in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. "The overall situation in the Asia-Pacific region can be described as relatively favorable but having its own hotbeds of tension. This is, of course, the nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula and territorial disputes, including in the South China Sea, and such unconventional security threats as international terrorism, piracy and drug trafficking," the diplomat said. He stressed that Russia, as a Eurasian power, "is vitally interested in ensuring peace, security, stable development of the Asia-Pacific region, creating [there] reliable international legal mechanisms and principles of security and cooperation taking into account the concerns and interests of all countries in the region." In light of that, Russia assigns high priority to expanding ties with Vietnam within various dialogue frameworks, such as the Asia-Europe cooperation forum, East Asia summits, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the ASEAN Regional Security Forum and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Read more