Vietnam, Russia boost culture, sports and tourism cooperation

At a meeting with Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinskiy, Minister Thien proposed that the two sides actively implement the cultural cooperation programs signed for 2016-2018 and invited Russia to the fourth Hanoi International Film Festival on November 1-5.

Vietnam and Russia will coordinate to organize Russian Cultural Days in Vietnam in 2017.

Mr Thien revealed that during Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Russia, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev said an agreement on the establishment of a Vietnam Culture Centre in Russia will be signed and land will be allocated for the building of the centre.

Mr Thien also urged Russia to train Vietnamese students in the field of culture and arts.

Regarding Russia’s opening a tourism representative office in Vietnam, Mr Thien noted it marks close cooperation in tourism between the two countries.

He proposed that the two sides will further implement the tourism cooperation program signed in 2015, exchange visits and organize annual tourism investment and trade promotion conferences.

The two countries should also coordinate in promoting tourism on their mass media, Mr Thien said.

A tourism cooperation document in the 2016-2018 period has been signed recently. The two countries have jointly organized tourism promotion programs to introduce Vietnamese tourism potential to Russia. They also held some annual international tourism fairs to attract businesses from both sides to take part in.

Russia is one of key markets of Vietnam tourism. Vietnam welcomed more than 338,000 Russian visitors last year and 180,200 others during the first five months of this year.