Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on October 21 to mark the centre’s 5th anniversary, RSCC Director Alexey Yurevich Lavrenev affirmed that the centre has made practical contributions to developing the bilateral friendship and cooperation in culture, science and technology, and other areas of activities.

The centre coordinated with the Russian Embassy in Hanoi to organise “Russian Cultural and Language Days in Vietnam ” in 2007 and an international seminar on Russian language teaching methods in 2005, he noted.

The RSCC has also hosted many large-scale exhibitions, including an exhibition on Russia ’s aeroplane models, the Russia-Vietnam Handicrafts Exhibition and an exhibition-cum-symposium on Russia’s modern technologies. The centre also joined the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association to hold various charity concerts to raise funds for Vietnamese orphans.

The centre has become a common roof for people who love the Russian country, said A.E Balenko, Head of the Russian Centre for International Cooperation in Science and Culture’s Asia-Africa Department, adding that with a huge collection of books, photos and video tapes on Russia, it is considered a valuable library for Russian language teachers and students, Vietnamese graduates in Russia and local cultural activists and businessmen

The RSCC was established in Hanoi in September 2004 with the aim of promoting the understanding of the Russian country, its people, culture and foreign policies and supporting scientific and cultural development cooperation between Russia and Vietnam.