Vietnamese individual honoured for contributions to St Petersburg
Dr Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice President of the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia and Director of the “Tradition and Friendship” Fund, has become the only foreign recipient of the badge "For Special Merits in International Cooperation" of the administration of Russia's St Petersburg city.
Other awardees included Andrey Vassoevich, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies under Herzen State Pedagogical University; Gasan Gasanov, head of the Representative Office of the Republic of Dagestan in St Petersburg; Vladimir Moiseenko, Acting Director of the N.P. Napalkov Oncology Centre; and Margarita Mudrak, Chairwoman of the Board of the Interregional Association for International Cooperation.
Speaking at the award ceremony on November 11, St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov congratulated the honourees, emphasising that their dedications have helped strengthen Russia’s national capacity and practically contributed to the city’s development and cooperation.
The badge is a personal reward but also reflects the St Petersburg Committee for External Relations and the city administration's appreciation of the efforts by the “Tradition and Friendship” Fund of the Vietnamese community in Russia in fostering people-to-people diplomacy as well as mutually beneficial cooperation between St Petersburg and Vietnamese localities.
Sharing his thoughts after receiving the honour, Hung expressed his pride and gratitude to the St Petersburg administration, relevant agencies and, particularly, the Committee for External Relations for their important role in advancing ties with Vietnam. He noted that the Governor’s identification of Vietnam as a priority in the city’s foreign policy has created a breakthrough in cooperation between St Petersburg and Vietnamese localities.
The badge “For Special Merits in International Cooperation” was established by Governor Alexander Beglov under a 2021 decree. It is bestowed not only upon Russian citizens but also on foreign and stateless persons with outstanding achievements in fostering international cooperation. Each year, no more than ten individuals are selected for the honour.
Vietnamese professor honoured with French order of merit
The Knight of the National Order of Merit of France has been bestowed upon Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HueUMP) under the Hue University in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, for his contributions to the bilateral relations.
