After the visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin in November, the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia has been raised to a new level.
The contents of the talks between Russian President Putin and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang stated that bilateral trade relations between the two countries are experiencing positive development. It is expected to reach US$4 billion in 2013. However, the two leaders also said that the results of cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and investment are still not commensurate with the political relations, economic scale and the existing potential of the two sides. Therefore, it is essential to have breakthrough measures to promote trade and investment relations between the two countries.
One of the cooperation criteria in the priority list of 2014 enhancing trade between Vietnam and Russia is promoting the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) between Vietnam and the Russian Customs Union, Belarus and Kazakhstan. After the FTA is signed, the door to export from Vietnam to Russia and the countries of the Customs Union will be wide open. To prepare for this great opportunity, Vietnamese enterprises should have a wider vision and more basic investment route such as opening branches or representative offices in Russia.
The Hanoi–Moscow Centre for Culture, Trade, and Hotels is a project in the programme supporting Vietnam in exporting goods to Russia. This is the place for local businesses to open branches and representative offices or showrooms in Moscow. Moreover, the Centre also supports enterprises in legal procedures such as the procedures for foreign investment and certificates for establishment of branches and offices.
On 20th November, delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Centre, Hanoi Party Secretary Pham Quang Nghi stressed: "The Hanoi–Moscow Centre for Culture, Trade, and Hotels is a very proud result of the cooperation between the two countries and their two capitals. This is a spacious building where Vietnam's commodities are introduced, which helps promote trade into the Russian market."
Shortly after the inauguration, in a working session with Incentra Company (the investor of the Centre) and relevant departments, Deputy Mayor of Moscow Marat Khusnulli confirmed that this was a typical project with 100 percent foreign investment capital into the Russian Federation and was a cooperation project between Hanoi and Moscow. The Deputy Mayor instructed relevant departments of Moscow to coordinate closely and promptly with the investor to promote the potential of the Centre.
As a trade bridge for the two countries’ businesses to get information and opportunities to work together to promote the export of goods from Vietnam to the Russian Federation, in addition to supporting businesses buy and rent space in the Centre and helping them with legal procedures, the Centre also supports businesses in finding partners and agents having potential and reputation for business relations in the Russian market.
L.H
Vietnamese
