Vietnam, Russia to kick-start FTA negotiations
VietNamNet Bridge, Vietnam
Vietnam, Russia to kick-start FTA negotiations
27 July 2012
Top Vietnamese and Russian leaders have agreed to accelerate negotiations and the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the customs alliance of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
The FTA will open up big prospects for increasing economic, trade, investment and service cooperation between Vietnam and Russia, said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and visiting Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang in Moscow on July 26.
Both leaders noted with satisfaction the positive development of trade ties between Vietnam and Russia, with the value expected to hit US$3 billion in 2012.
However, they said such an FTA is needed to increase two-way trade value which is expected to hit US$3 billion in 2012, and agreed to kick-start the FTA negotiations during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) summit to be held in Vladivostok, Russia, this September.
Both host and guest shared the view that the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia has developed well, saying bilateral political ties have been further strengthened, while mutually beneficial cooperation in economics, trade, science and technology, security and national defence, education-training, culture and tourism has been expanded substantially.
They acknowledged both sides’ efforts in undertaking strategic cooperation projects, especially those on oil and gas and the on-going construction of the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant.
PM Medvedev confirmed that Russia supports energy cooperation projects with Vietnam and creates favourable conditions for the two countries’ joint venture companies to implement signed contracts and expand oil&gas exploration in Russia.
President Sang welcomed Medvedev’s view and assured his host that the Vietnamese government supports Russian oil&gas companies in carrying out their energy projects in Vietnam.
The two leaders discussed new areas of cooperation and agreed to assist Vietnamese businesses to take part in development projects in Russia’s Far Eastern region, as well as Russian companies to do business in Vietnam.
They valued the results of bilateral cooperation in national defence and military technology, and said Vietnam and Russia should strengthen cooperation in education-training, science-technology, culture and tourism.
They also exchanged views on fostering ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the United Russia Party led by Medvedev, including the exchange of high-level visits.
President Sang proposed that the Russian government create more favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals to integrate well into the local communities.
The same day, President Sang met with Vietnamese embassy staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Russia.
President Truong Tan Sang began an official five-day visit to Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.
President’s visit dominates Russian headlines
Russia’s ITAR-TASS and RIA-Novosti News Agencies and television stations have underscored the significance of President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to Russia.
They quoted Prime Minister Medvedev as saying that bilateral cooperation in trade and humanitarian areas has proved very effective, with two-way trade reaching US$3 billion in 2011.
During their coming talks, President Putin and his Vietnamese counterpart will discuss ways to promote political dialogues and broaden mutual cooperation in all aspects.
The Kremlin has issued a press release highlighting the recent results of close cooperation between the two countries in various areas, especially in tourism and education and training.
According to the release, as many as 52,000 Vietnamese experts have graduated from Russian universities, 2,200 of them as doctors and doctors of science.
There are now 6,000 Vietnamese studying at universities and colleges in Russia, 1,700 of them under an exchange program between the two countries.
The Russian side appreciates Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption for Russian citizens visiting Vietnam within 15 days.
The number of Russian visitors to Vietnam reached 78,000 in 2011 and 87,000 in the first five months of 2012.
