On September 3, on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) 2026 in Vladivostok, Russian Federation, Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan held talks with Aysen Sergeyevich Nikolayev, Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), to discuss new directions for cooperation between the two sides.

At the meeting, Minister Ngo Van Tuan affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches importance to its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the Russian Federation. Viet Nam also highly values the Sakha Republic’s interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnamese localities.

Overview of the working session. (Photo: Ministry of Finance)

Minister Ngo Van Tuan noted that Sakha (Yakutia) has significant potential and strengths in minerals, diamonds, coal, energy, liquefied natural gas and the Aldan Industrial Cluster. He proposed that the two sides establish links to help businesses from both countries explore investment, trade and business cooperation opportunities.

The minister said Viet Nam could leverage the complementary strengths between Sakha’s natural resources and raw materials and Viet Nam’s processing capacity, markets and network of free trade agreements. Potential areas of cooperation include agricultural, seafood and food products, mineral processing, and consumer goods manufacturing.

Aysen Sergeyevich Nikolayev spoke highly of Viet Nam’s impressive socio-economic development achievements. The Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) affirmed that the republic considers Viet Nam an important priority partner in Southeast Asia and wishes to create new breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation.

Responding to Viet Nam’s proposals, Nikolayev said Sakha (Yakutia) has a strong demand for workers to serve infrastructure and industrial development projects. The Sakha side expressed strong support for Minister Ngo Van Tuan’s proposal to implement an organized labor cooperation model that complies with the laws of both countries and is linked to systematic vocational training.

Regarding local-level connectivity, Minister Ngo Van Tuan supported Sakha (Yakutia)’s proposal to establish comprehensive cooperation with Can Tho City. The two sides agreed to instruct their respective focal-point agencies to urgently make contact and prepare the necessary procedures toward signing an official cooperation agreement between Sakha (Yakutia) and Can Tho. This would provide a foundation for expanding links with other Vietnamese localities that share similar characteristics.

The two leaders also agreed to continue promoting cultural, sports and tourism exchanges, as well as education and training cooperation, thereby strengthening mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

During the meeting, the two sides held in-depth discussions on solutions to remove obstacles and facilitate cooperation. Topics included improving payment mechanisms, strengthening logistics, and sharing market and legal information with businesses and investors.

Concluding the meeting, Minister Ngo Van Tuan expressed his confidence that cooperation between Viet Nam and the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) would become increasingly substantive and effective, bringing practical benefits to both sides. On the occasion, the minister cordially invited Aysen Sergeyevich Nikolayev and a delegation from the Sakha Republic to visit and work in Viet Nam at a suitable time.

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