All Russian political parties support stronger ties with Vietnam: State Duma chair

The meeting was part of Volodin’s official visit to Vietnam from Sunday through Monday at the invitation of Tran Thanh Man, chairman of Vietnam’s law-making National Assembly.

Party chief To Lam hailed the visit as a vivid demonstration of the two countries’ shared will to strengthen ties.

He reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of supporting Russia’s stability and prosperity with improved social welfare and well-being for its people.

He expressed Vietnam’s hope that Russia will play a more important role in cooperation mechanisms, security and development in the Asia-Pacific and the world, as well as in building a regional structure that is equal, inclusive, comprehensive, open, transparent, and based on international law.

The Party chief called for Moscow’s backing of Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on maintaining peace, stability, and order in the East Vietnam Sea in line with international law, the UN Charter, and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam, he stressed, is determined to focus resources on national development and hopes reliable partners like Russia will accompany it on this path.

Lam suggested the Russian State Duma continue close parliamentary cooperation with Vietnam’s National Assembly and thanked the State Duma for promptly ratifying bilateral agreements.

According to Volodin, President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking Russian leaders attached great importance to the trip, seeing it as a crucial step towards effectively implementing the outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to Russia in May.

Volodin stated that Vietnam has always been a loyal and reliable partner despite global uncertainties.

He noted that his delegation to Vietnam included representatives of all political parties in the State Duma, and all of them agreed on advancing comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam across multiple fields.

During his same-day meetings with Vietnam’s State President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, both sides emphasized the importance of implementing high-level agreements, overcoming obstacles, and creating favorable legal frameworks to boost economic, trade, energy, and education partnerships.

PM Chinh proposed raising two-way trade to US$15 billion, capitalizing on the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreement, and encouraging investment in each other’s markets.

Volodin, for his part, highlighted Russia’s recognition of Vietnam as a top priority partner in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

He welcomed Vietnam’s gesture of honoring Soviet Union military experts with a monument at the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi and pledged the State Duma’s support in enhancing economic, defense, cultural, and educational cooperation.

Both sides also agreed to accelerate negotiations on a bilateral visa waiver, and to expand collaboration in infrastructure, tourism, and labor exchanges.