Joint Statement on 2030 Vision for Development of Vietnam – Russia relations

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In the wake of the results¹ of the bilateral talks on 30th November 2021 in Moscow, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin have agreed on the following:

1. The relations of comprehensive strategic partnership between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation are based upon years-long traditions of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, laid down by the previous generations. Since the joint declaration on the Strategic Partnership in 2001 and on upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2012, the Russian-Vietnamese relations have been enhanced in various topics and covered a wide range of

Political dialogue is characterized by a high degree of trust. Regular contact at all levels, including senior level, is a solid basis for promoting the relations in all fields.

Cooperation in the military and technical sphere, as well as in the security domain, holds a special place in the structure of Russian-Vietnamese relations.

Following the Free Trade Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union and its member countries signed in 2015 and took effect from 2016, trade between the two countries has increased significantly. The two sides continue to implement cooperation projects in oil and gas exploration and production, meeting the interests of both sides, with focus on cooperation in the fields of electric energy, industry, information technology, and agriculture.

Cooperation in the fields of education - training, science - technology, culture and tourism has also been tightened. Relations between localities and social organizations of Vietnam and Russia have been promoted.

2. In order to promote the achievements made in the past two decades, preserve good tradition of friendship and make the most of the existing potential for cooperation, the two sides affirm their determination to further strengthen the Vietnam - Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership toward 2030 with the following major principles and orientations:

Consolidating and improving the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a priority in external affairs of Vietnam and Russia, meeting the long-term interests of the two countries.

Vietnam and the Russian Federation do not do not enter alliances and do not sign agreements with third countries in order to carry out actions that harm each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and fundamental interests.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation determine to cooperate closely in all areas including bilateral and multilateral framework.

3. Vietnam and Russia continue to further their political dialogue. The sides determine to deploy the following duties:

Maintaining regular exchanges of delegation at senior and highest levels, carrying out meeting in the framework of international fora, as well as other exchanges.

Stepping up cooperation in many forms between the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and chambers of the Russian Federal Assembly, including the supervision for implementation of signed agreements within the framework of the Committee for Inter-parliamentary cooperation between the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly; continue coordination at international and regional parliamentary fora.

Maintaining in-depth and substantive engagement though channels of political parties, governments, ministries, sectors, localities and social organizations, encouraging the expansion of youth exchanges.

Promoting operation and coordination role of the Vietnam – Russia Inter-governmental Committee for cooperation on Economy-Trade and Science-Technology.

Enhancing the effectiveness of the dialogue on important strategic issues between Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

4. Vietnam and Russia continue to strengthen cooperation in defense, security, military and military technology on the basis of international law, for peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

The two sides continue to strengthen their comprehensive cooperation in international information security in accordance with international law and the spirit of the Joint Statement adopted on November 10, 2017 between Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on cooperation in international cyber security, and the Vietnam – Russia Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in international information security signed on September 6, 2018 on preventing the use of information and telecommunication technologies for undermining or infringing upon sovereignty and territorial integrity and other actions that undermine efforts of maintaining international peace, security and stability.

5. The two sides consider economic cooperation as a major component of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and affirm their will to implement the following duties:

Boosting the efficiency of the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states to promote trade.

Encouraging mutual investment in traditional and new fields, such as electricity generation, industry, mining, high-end technology, transportation, urban development, housing, urban technical infrastructure, agriculture, forestry.

Strengthening cooperation in energy, expanding cooperation in promising areas such as construction of gas-powered electricity plants, liquefied natural gas supply for Vietnam and building of corresponding infrastructure, renewable energy development, petrol production, as well as modernization of energetic facilities; supporting the implementation of operational or new projects with the participation of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and companies of Zarubezhneft, Gazprom, Novatek and Rosatom, as well as other, including for projects electricity using liquefied petroleum gas in Vietnam.

Creating favorable conditions for the expansion of activities of Vietnamese oil and gas companies in the Russian Federation and Russian ones in Vietnam’s continental shelf, as well as the deployment of joint projects with third party.

Strengthening industrial cooperation, including deploying in Vietnam production and assembly facilities for Russian motor vehicles and gradually localizing production.

Enhancing cooperation in agriculture and forestry in order to make full use of the advantages of both nations and promote trade in agricultural, aquatic and seafood products.

Expanding cooperation in the field of credit and finance, specifically promoting payments using local currency, actively promoting the role of the Vietnam - Russia Joint Venture Bank in implementing joint cooperative projects.

Continuing to cooperate in e-Government development with a focus on ensuring cyber security and safety, taking into account the trustworthiness of the Vietnam - Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Encouraging direct cooperation between Vietnamese provinces/cities and those of the Russian Federation, including investment cooperation between Vietnam and Russian Siberia and the Far East.

6. Vietnam and Russia are determined to strengthen cooperation in education – training and science – technology, to enhance the coordinating role of the Vietnam – Russia Cooperation Committee on Education, Science and Technology, as well as the activities of the Coordination Committee of the Vietnam – Russia Combined Tropical Science and Technology Research Center.

The two sides continue to promote cultural, touristic and people-to-people exchanges, which play an important role in enhancing understanding and preserving the traditional friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and Russia.

The main duties to implement the above-mentioned orientations are included:

Strengthening cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, which is first and foremost within the framework of the construction project for a Center for Research on Nuclear Science and Technology in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; continue training Vietnamese students at Russian universities in related field. Should Vietnam return to its plans of building national atomic energy industry, Russia will be viewed as a priority partner in this field.

Strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam – Russia Combined Tropical Science and Technology Research Center, and constantly strengthening the potential of the Center.

Expanding the quantity and content of general scientific and technological research duties, including in the fields of life science, energetic technology, space technology, rational use of environmental resources, basic rescue research; promoting cooperation between academies of the two countries, continuing to conduct joint projects on maritime research.

Promoting cooperation in the field of digital transformation, management of transnational platforms, peaceful use of outer space, including cooperation in the use and development of the global satellite navigation system GLONASS of Russia;

Expanding exchanges between educational institutions, universities and academies of the two countries, continuing to train for Vietnamese citizens at Russian universities due to granted scholarships.

Promoting the study and teaching of Russian in Vietnam and Vietnamese in Russia, including maximizing the potential of the Pushkin National Institute for Russian Language in Hanoi and the Center for Russian Science and Culture in Hanoi.

Promoting cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals base on experience in cooperation for prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past time; exchanging of experts and technological know-how in the development of new solutions and applications in medical examination and treatment; facilitating the supply, production cooperation and technology transfer of vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

Strengthening judicial cooperation in order to further improve the legal basis for bilateral cooperation.

Encouraging cultural, sports and tourism cooperation, youth exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy; regularly conducting cultural days, cross years, activities on the occasion of the anniversaries in Vietnam – Russia relations.

Supporting simplification of travel procedures for citizens of the two nations, boosting the number of tourists from the two countries.

Creating favorable conditions for the living, working and studying of Vietnamese citizens in Russia and Russian citizens in Vietnam.

7. Vietnam and Russia support building a more democratic and equitable system for international relations on the basis of respect for international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The two sides do not support unilateral economic imposition and sanctions that do not go through the United Nations Security Council and violate international

The two sides believe that international security is indivisible and comprehensive, stemming from the inability to guarantee the security of one country by harming the security of another, including expanding or establish new military-political alliances; they affirm their willingness to promote joint efforts of the international community in respond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, transnational crimes, armed conflicts, and civil wars, territorial disputes, interventions, illegal drug production and consumption, climate change, epidemics, and to work together to ensure cyber security, food and water resources, and to promote an effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Vietnam and Russia support multilateralism in international relations and the improvement of the United Nations’ central coordinating role in ensuring peace, security and sustainable development, the operational effectiveness, democratization and reform of the United Nations. The two countries continue to cooperate equally and mutually respect in order to promote and protect human rights on the basis of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, in accordance with the respective national domestic laws, as well as coordinate closely to prevent the abusement of human rights issues to interfere in the internal affairs of each country.

Vietnam and Russia support international efforts for arms control, disarmament and non- proliferation, including moving toward the goal of building a nuclear weapons free world and other weapons of mass destruction, support continued consultations between the five nuclear powers and the member countries of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone in order to resolve problems and move towards the signing of the Protocol attached to the Treaty.

Vietnam and Russia call for drafting under the United Nations auspices a convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes and further reinforcing international cooperation in this regard within the framework of the United Nations’ specialized agencies, including the International Telecommunication Union.

Both nations are committed to the preservation and development of the multilateral trading system, with regard to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Vietnam and Russia confirm the comprehensive and unified nature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, which is the legal basis for any activity at sea and in the oceans.

Both sides hold that it is necessary to step up regional efforts in order to create an equal, indivisible, comprehensive, open and transparent architecture for security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The parties oppose the fragmentation of the established interaction between the countries of the Asia-Pacific region to the detriment of deepening and expanding the region-wide dialogue.

Vietnam and Russia will coordinate to ensure maritime security, freedom of navigation and aviation, unhindered trade.

Vietnam and Russia stand for the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea and welcome the efforts to promptly adopt a Code of Conduct for the parties in the South China Sea.

The two sides support strengthening the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the system of interstate relations in the Asia-Pacific region, through the promotion of the values and principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, full participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, Meeting of ASEAN Ministers of Defense with Dialogue Partners, and, in addition, will continue to provide mutual support to initiatives put forward within these alliances, explore promising areas of cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in accordance with the Joint Statement of the 4th Russia – ASEAN Summit: Building a Peaceful, Stable and Sustainable Region dated 28th October 2021.

Both nations emphasize the importance of building up cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in the field of ensuring international information security, as well as within the framework of the Russia – ASEAN Dialogue on issues related to ensuring the security of information and communication technology.

The parties note the need to develop a mechanism for the Consultations between Russian and ASEAN’ Senior Officials in charge of security issues.

Vietnam and Russia will continue to strengthen and deepen the strategic partnership between ASEAN and Russia under the spirit of the Joint Statement of the 3rd Russia – ASEAN Summit on Strategic Partnership of 14th November 2018, and will also continue to promote effective cooperation based on the Comprehensive Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (2021–2025).

The two sides advocate deepening regional economic integration and the implementation of initiatives related to interregional connectivity, including the Greater Eurasian Partnership project, as well as strengthening economic ties between ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation will contribute to promote cooperation between ASEAN, the EAEU and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation are convinced that the effective implementation of all these areas of bilateral relations and coordination at multilateral forums and international organizations will contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations in practical manner, which will serve the long-term interests of the peoples of both countries and ensuring peace, security and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Source: http://news.chinhphu.vn/Home/Joint-Statement-on-2030-Vision-for-Development- of-Viet-NamRussia-Relations/202112/46276.vgp

¹ The statement is given in the version abbreviated by the Editorial Board of the journal.

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