NA leader: Vietnam appreciates Russia’s stance on East Sea issue

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan delivers a speech at the Federation Council of Russia

In her speech, the top Vietnamese legislator highlighted the constantly developing cooperation between the two legislative bodies and expressed her confidence that the two legislatures will continue to play an important role in building a legal corridor favorable for the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, strengthen oversight of the implementation of cooperative agreements and projects, and work closely at inter-parliamentary forums.

Vietnam always keeps in mind and respects the wholehearted assistance from the Soviet Union’s people, including the Russian people, for its fight for national independence and reunification.

Bilateral relations were upgraded the level of the strategic partnership in 2001 and the comprehensive strategic partnership– the highest relationship framework of Vietnam – in 2012, marking a breakthrough development in both nations’ connections, Ngan said.

Vietnam-Russia relations made great strides in the recent past with the high political trust and cooperation mechanisms established in a multitude of fields.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record of US$4.5 billion in 2018 and US$3.4 billion in the first nine months of 2019. Vietnam was the first country to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a key member. Besides, bilateral investment has continued to be intensified with many major projects, including those on oil and gas, carried out in both countries, she said

The Vietnamese NA leader also applauded fruitful cooperation in defence and security people-to-people exchange, noting that more and more young Vietnamese have chosen Russia to study. Meanwhile, Vietnam remains a popular destination for Russian travelers with last year seeing more than 600,000 people from Russia visited the Southeast Asian nation.

During the trip to Vietnam in December 2018 by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin, the two sides signed a cooperation agreement on the establishment of an inter-parliamentary cooperation committee between the Vietnamese NA and the State Duma of Russia. This committee is the highest form of cooperation of the Vietnamese legislature, according to the NA Chairwoman.

Vietnam highly appreciates Russia’s viewpoint on the East Sea and hopes that Russia and the Russian National Assembly will continue to voice their support for the rule of law and non-acceptance of acts that cause tensions, erode trust, and threaten regional peace and security, Ngan said.

The country believes that the oil and gas exploration and exploitation by the Vietsovpetro jointventure in the waters that belong to Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction rights in the East Sea are in line with international law and will continue to go on.

She repeated Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong’s statement that Vietnam’s unwavering policy is to always attach importance to and further foster the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, and see Russia as one of the leading partners. Russian President Vladimir Putin also described Vietnam as a leading partner of his country in the Asia-Pacific region.

As Chair of ASEAN and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in 2020, Vietnam will continue strengthening the strategic partnership between ASEAN and Russia and help promote Russia’s voice and stature in the region, she noted, adding that as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, it will also keep working hand in hand with Russia. Ngan said she hopes that the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership will grow and flourish and overcome every challenge and difficulty to match their long-standing friendship.

In that process, their law-making bodies will continue playing a key role in making favourable legal frameworks, enhancing supervision and accelerating the implementation of cooperation agreements and projects. They will also boost their closer coordination at international inter-parliamentary forums for the sake of the two peoples, as well as for peace, cooperation, development and prosperity in the region and the world, the NA Chairwoman said.

Earlier the same day, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her high-ranking delegation laid wreaths at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the foot of the Kremlin wall and paid tribute to Lenin at his Mausoleum.