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The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) at 105A Quan Thanh, Hanoi, following the closing of the First Vietnam-Russia People’s Forum.

Numerous Proposals for Cooperation

At the meeting, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son reported on the results of the Forum. Taking place from September 30 to October 1, the Forum successfully achieved its set objectives and program. Some delegates noted that the duration was relatively short compared to the strong demand for exchanges, given the particularly special relationship between Vietnam and Russia.

Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien meets with the Russian delegation attending the First Vietnam-Russia People’s Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Expressing gratitude to Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien for taking the time to meet with the delegation, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations Evgeny Grigoriev emphasized that Saint Petersburg has a longstanding bond with Vietnam. He recalled the historic milestone of 1923 when Nguyen Ai Quoc set foot in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg), as well as the inauguration of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the city on June 30, 2023 - a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations.

He noted that since August 2020, under the decision of Governor Alexander Beglov, cooperation with Vietnam has been designated as a priority direction in Saint Petersburg’s external affairs. Beyond political and diplomatic ties, the city has consistently focused on promoting people-to-people exchanges, including youth cooperation. Over the years, Saint Petersburg has collaborated with the Vietnamese Association in the city, the Russia-Vietnam Cooperation Development Promotion Fund “Tradition and Friendship”, and the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations to implement numerous practical activities.

Grigoriev also mentioned proposals such as naming a street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City after Leningrad or Saint Petersburg, as well as building a memorial dedicated to Soviet and Vietnamese experts. He affirmed that the First Vietnam-Russia People’s Forum in Hanoi was a particularly significant event, strongly promoting bilateral cooperation on the basis of mutual trust.

Duong Chi Kien, entrepreneur and President of the Vietnamese Association in Saint Petersburg, provided information on the Vietnamese community of around 1,500 members, including 500 residents engaged in business and livelihoods and nearly 1,000 students. He affirmed that the community remains united, abides by local laws, maintains close ties with the homeland, and serves as a bridge fostering Vietnam-Russia relations.

Professor, Doctor of Medicine Vladimir Moiseenko, Director of the Napalkov Oncology Center, People’s Doctor of the Russian Federation, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, underscored the importance of international medical cooperation, particularly in cancer research and treatment. He noted that the Center has maintained long-term collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital and, on the occasion of the Forum, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Friendship Hospital.

Professor, Doctor of Science Georgy Davidovic Toloraia, Vice Chairman of the National Committee on BRICS Research and Director of the Russian Strategy in Asia Center of the Institute of Economics under the Russian Academy of Sciences, shared his perspective as a scholar who has studied Asia for decades. He expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable development achievements and stressed that, in a world of increasing turbulence, the two countries need to further strengthen cooperation in economics, culture, and education. As a BRICS expert, he welcomed Vietnam’s engagement as a partner in this mechanism and highlighted the need to expand exchanges between researchers and scholars of the two countries.

Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations, speaks at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Forum Holds Profound Political and Humanitarian Significance

Speaking at the meeting, Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien highly valued the profound political and humanitarian significance of the First Vietnam-Russia People’s Forum. He regarded it as a new direction in people-to-people diplomacy, contributing to the strengthening of the “people’s front” and deepening the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien speaks at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

He emphasized that generations of Vietnamese people have always remembered and valued the wholehearted, precious, and effective support of the Soviet people in the past and the Russian people today for Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as in the cause of national construction and defense. Building on the traditional friendship and its new development, in 2012 the two countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership - the highest level of international relations for Vietnam. Guided by its independent, self-reliant, peaceful, diversified, and multilateral foreign policy, Vietnam always regards Russia as a close and trustworthy partner.

Reflecting on nearly 40 years of Doi moi (Renewal), he underscored that Vietnam has achieved remarkable progress: from being one of the world’s poorest nations to becoming a leading rice exporter, ranking among the world’s top 32 economies and one of the 20 countries with the largest trade volumes worldwide. The living standards of the people have steadily improved, and by 2025, Vietnam has basically eliminated makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide.

Politburo Member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien takes a commemorative photo with delegates.

The President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee affirmed that the Front carries the noble mission of rallying the great national unity bloc, including the participation of overseas Vietnamese. He acknowledged the heartfelt and responsible contributions of delegates, particularly on matters of trade, training, science, and technology. He also noted that he would report these to the competent authorities for consideration of appropriate solutions, including the proposals to name a street and to build a memorial honoring Soviet and Vietnamese experts.

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