Russia desires to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, especially in heavy industry, culture and tourism, a top Russian legislator said in Hanoi on March 21.
The statement was made by Bazukin Yuri Alexandrovich, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Economic Policy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism of the State Duma of Russia, who led a delegation of legislators on a visit to Vietnam, to Deputy Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Van Yeu.
However, more details about industrial sectors in Vietnam that Russia want to enter were not revealed.
Previously during a visit to Vietnam last month, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Fradkov proposed deeper energy cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation. He asked Vietnam to extend the operational duration of their 50/50 oil and gas joint venture, Vietsovpetro, after 2010 when the 30-year contract expires.
Besides, Fradkov also pledged to help Vietnam build its first nuclear power plant and joined hand with the Southeast Asian country to build its biggest hydro-electricity plant in Son La.
Regarding tourism, Russia is now emerging as the most potential market for Vietnam with influx up 72.5 per cent to 7,700 arrivals in the first two months of this year.
During the talk with Russian legislative delegation, Vietnamese NA vice chairman Yeu said that in the future, alongside economic cooperation, the exchange of information between the two legislatures and relations between the two peoples should be strengthened.
Vietnam and Russia have had a strategic partnership. To date, Russia has invested in 47 projects in Vietnam with total investment capital of around US$278 million, ranking the top ten investors in Vietnam while the communist nation invests US$38 million in 11 projects in Russia. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Russia in 2005 was estimated at US$1 billion.
New Hanoi
Vietnamese
