General Secretary To Lam held talks with President Vladimir Putin on May 10 (local time), at the Kremlin in Moscow, as part of his official visit to the Russian Federation and attendance at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

During the talks, President Putin expressed his sincere appreciation to General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and high-ranking Vietnamese delegation for attending the 80th anniversary celebration of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and to the Vietnam People’s Army for participating in the military parade at Red Square on May 9.

President Putin emphasized that Russia–Vietnam relations have stood the test of time throughout the 75 years since their establishment, marked by solidarity not only during wartime but also in today’s time of peace.

President Putin affirmed that Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit is of great significance, especially as the two countries commemorate a series of major anniversaries, including the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s national reunification, and the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day.

The Vietnamese Party leader congratulated Russia on the successful and solemn commemoration of Victory Day, calling it an exceptionally important event that will forever be remembered in human history. He emphasized that the Soviet Union, and later, Russia, offered wholehearted support to Vietnam in its struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in its current efforts toward national development.

General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Russian President Putin is a great friend and close comrade of Vietnam. He expressed his sincere thanks for the warm reception that President Putin and Russian leaders extended to him, his wife, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during this visit. The General Secretary congratulated Russia on its achievements under President Putin's leadership in recent years.

On this occasion, the top Party leader conveyed the best regards and well-wishes from President Luong Cuong and other senior leaders of Vietnam to President Putin and Russian high-ranking officials. The General Secretary also updated President Putin on the current situation in Vietnam, while stressing that the country has maintained political stability, sustained economic growth, and ensured the well-being of its people. Vietnam is urgently working towards its development goals, aiming to become a high-income country by 2045.

Both leaders affirmed that the leaders and people of Vietnam and Russia have always cherished the long-standing, traditional friendship between the two nations, a relationship that has withstood the test of time, continuously strengthened, and developed towards the long-term interests of both peoples. This partnership aims for the prosperity of both nations, as well as peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

Host and guest acknowledged the results of implementing high-level agreements, commending the activities of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee in promoting bilateral relations across various fields, from politics to trade, investment, energy, oil and gas, nuclear power, security, defense, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. They also emphasized stepping up cooperation between localities in both countries.

The Vietnamese Party chief proposed that both sides enhance exchanges at all levels and through various channels, beef up cooperation in economic and trade sectors, investment, and transportation. He also suggested promoting e-commerce and labor cooperation, especially considering Russia's high demand in this area. Additionally, he asked Russia to facilitate Vietnamese researchers' participation in studies in fields such as nuclear energy and fundamental physics.

He hailed Russia's reputation and strengths in biology and pharmaceuticals and expressed a desire for joint research on medicines and vaccines. In particular, he called for the early establishment of a research and vaccine trial facility for cancer treatment in Vietnam, aiming for technology transfer and local production of medicines and vaccines.

To Lam further supported the promotion of Russian language education in Vietnam and encouraged Russia to increase its Vietnamese language training and establish a Vietnamese cultural center in Russia, as well as intensifying people-to-people exchanges. He also proposed that Russia consider granting visa exemptions for Vietnamese citizens, particularly for short-term business trips, and further facilitate the issuance of electronic visas.

Highlighting the great significance of the visit amid both countries celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations and other major historical events, General Secretary To Lam and President Putin agreed that specific, symbolic projects should be developed to represent the Vietnam-Russia friendship in the new era. Both sides supported the energy and oil and gas companies from each country to augment cooperation, expand investments, and operate on each other’s territories, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

The two leaders agreed to make new, substantial, and effective progress in the fields of science and technology, nuclear energy, biotechnology, semiconductor industries, digital infrastructure, and information technology. They also consented to speed up the implementation of joint scientific research projects based on the agreements already signed between the two countries.

In the fields of defence, security, and military technology, the two sides concurred to deepen bilateral cooperation further, working together to deal with non-traditional security challenges, cybersecurity, and combating high-tech crimes, based on international law and practices, thereby contributing to peace and security in the region and globally.

President Putin praised the increasing contributions of the Vietnamese community in Russia to the country's socio- economic development. The General Secretary proposed that Russia continue to offer favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, work, and study, thus enabling them to further contribute to Russia's development and reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two nations.

The two leaders also discussed international and regional issues of shared concern, while underlining the importance of respecting the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, including UNCLOS 1982.

On this occasion, Vietnam and Russia issued a Joint Declaration outlining the key directions for their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new phase of cooperation. They applauded the tremendous achievements in their bilateral relations, reaffirmed their guiding principles, and set forth major directions to boost cooperation, the traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, for the long-term benefit of their peoples, and for peace, security, and sustainable development in the region and the world.

The governments and agencies of both countries also signed numerous documents and cooperation agreements, reinforcing the legal foundation to promote bilateral relations in diplomacy, defense, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, science and technology, justice, healthcare, education and training, biomedical sciences, culture, and aviation.

General Secretary To Lam extended a sincere invitation to President Putin to visit Vietnam again soon, with the invitation accepted with pleasure.

Immediately after the talks, the two leaders witnessed a signing ceremony of cooperation documents between the two countries.

Among the key cooperation documents signed were memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation between the Voice of Vietnam and the Russian State Musical TV and Radio Centre; between Vietnam National University, Hanoi and and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), and between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

In the fields of science, health, and technology, the two sides signed an MoU on biomedical cooperation between their respective ministries of health; a cooperation agreement between the two ministries of science and technology; and a roadmap for cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy for 2025–2030, signed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Russia’s ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation.

Other important agreements included a natural gas sales contract from Block 12/11 between Petrovietnam, Zarubezhneft JSC, and Petrovietnam Gas JSC; an MoU between the Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF); and a comprehensive cooperation agreement between the Vietnam Airlines Corporation and Russia’s VTB Bank.

The two countries also signed a cooperation programme between their ministries of justice for 2026–2027; an MoU on tourism cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development for 2025–2030; and an intergovernmental agreement on the establishment and operation of a Pushkin Russian language centre.

In addition, an intergovernmental agreement on expanded cooperation in geological exploration and oil and gas exploitation on Vietnam’s continental shelf and within Russian territory was signed, along with two protocols amending the 2010 and 2016 agreements on continued cooperation within the frameworks of the Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro joint ventures.

On the same day, the defence ministers of the two countries signed the Vietnam–Russia Strategic Partnership Plan in national defence for the 2026–2030 period. General Secretary To Lam and President Vladimir Putin also adopted a joint statement outlining key directions for the Vietnam–Russia comprehensive strategic partnership in the new period.

Later in the afternoon, the two leaders met the press to announce the outcomes of their talks, affirming a shared commitment to deepening the bilateral relationship through a series of strategic agreements and concrete cooperation plans.

Party chief affirms Vietnam’s wish to deepen ties with Russia

VOV.VN - Vietnam places great importance on and desires to continuously strengthen its relations with Russia, with parliamentary cooperation playing a substantive role in promoting and overseeing the implementation of intergovernmental agreements, while also deepening mutual understanding and trust between the two nations.