President of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) Rustam Minnikhanov paid an official visit to Vietnam from 7 to 9 September 2014. Accompanied were representatives of the leading enterprises of Tatarstan in the fields of manufacturing machinery, Kamaz equipment and truck, military shipbuilding, military and civilian aircraft, oil and gas, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. On this occasion, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in collaboration with the Embassy of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation Trade Representative Office in Vietnam held a meeting with the President Rustam Minnikhanov and the delegation of Tatarstan enterprises in Hanoi.
At the meeting, President Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed that enterprises accompanying the President are those with strengths in the field of equipment and trucks, machinery manufacturing, military aircraft, petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical. Especially attending this meeting was famous Kamaz truck company which currently accounts for 83 percent of Russian trucks turnover and has been familiar truck brand in Vietnam since 1979.
Also on this occasion, representatives of Vietnamese businesses said that they are ready to cooperate with partners from Russia and Tatarstan, but the two sides should regularly exchange information and business delegations. Current reality shows that the lack of specific information about Tatarstan market makes many businesses fail to take advantage of opportunities for cooperation of the two countries.
According to President Rustam Minninkhanov, Tatarstan is the 5th biggest economy of the Russian Federation. President Rustam Minninkhanov said that these are the sectors in which the two sides should cooperate more closely in the future. The president also said that two-way trade turnover between the two countries at present was only about US$30 million, incommensurate to the potential. To promote trade and investment between the two countries, Tatarstan will create the best conditions for Vietnamese enterprises.
According Dr Vu Tien Loc, VCCI President, in this context, Vietnam is expanding and diversifying export markets, thus Vietnam is highly desirable to have Tatarstan businesses investing in Vietnam, especially in materials production for industries, textiles, developing strength fields of the two countries. Dr Loc also said that in the coming time, VCCI will organize a business delegation to explore and invest in Tatarstan.
On this occasion, in order to create a legal framework for the two countries’ business communities, Dr Vu Tien Loc and Mr Shamil Aveg, Chairman of Tatarstan Chamber of Commerce signed a cooperation agreement between the 2 chambers to promote the exchange of information and promotion for the two business communities. This cooperation agreement will make positive contribution to investment-trade relations more in-depth and more substantially in the future.
Earlier, during the meeting with President Rustan Minnikhanov, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh stressed that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russian Federation is developing very dynamically and successfully in many fields, especially in the field of commerce, oil and gas, nuclear power and military technology. Based on the existing strengths of Tatarstan, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh called on Tatarstan to play a positive role in deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.
Besides, the two sides should also promote effective cooperation in the fields of education, general scientific research and in particular, finding and expanding new forms of cooperation in accordance with the strength of Tatarstan as well as the needs of Vietnam such as oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
In a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung, President Minnikhanov discussed building and putting into operation the Alabuga Special Economic Zones (SEZ ) with the largest scale in Russia. The SEZ is receiving attention from the Tatarstan government and will be expanded in the future. President Minnikhanov called for investment from Vietnam in sectors where Vietnam has many advantages such as textiles, wood processing. These are products that Tatarstan has high demand. Besides, President Minnikhanov expressed desire to strengthen exchanges between the two countries and hoped that Vietnam will create favorable conditions for enterprises of Tatarstan to learn, invest in some industrial sectors in Vietnam.
According to experts, the official visit of President Rustan Minnikhanov to Vietnam has marked a new step for relations between Vietnam and Tatarstan, particularly in the areas of trade and investment.
Quynh Anh
Vietnamese
10/12/2024
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
