Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man (right) and President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and President of the Council of State of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez co-chair the second session of the Vietnam – Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in Hanoi on October 1. (Photo: VNA)  

General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vu Viet Trang hosted a reception in Hanoi on October 1 for a delegation from Russia’s St. Petersburg administration led by Grigoriev Evghnhi Dmitrievic, Chairman of the city's Committee for External Relations.

Trang welcomed the delegation, who are in Vietnam for the first Vietnam – Russia People’s Forum and other activities, highlighting the significance of this trip amid the ongoing celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam – Russia diplomatic relations, marked by frequent high-level visits and exchanges.

She praised St. Petersburg as a pioneer in cooperation with Vietnam, noting meaningful projects and works such as a celebration commemorating Vietnamese leader Nguyen Ai Quoc (President Ho Chi Minh)’s visit to Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in 1923 and the Russia-Vietnam Youth Forum. The city has regularly hosted major international events with the participation of Vietnam, including the 19th General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), Trang said.

Reflecting on the VNA’s 80-year journey, the General Director expressed her gratitude to international partners, especially Russian colleagues, including TASS News Agency, for their support and assistance. Many generations of VNA staff were trained in Russia, helping to improve professional skills and build close ties.

Trang emphasised the importance of maintaining people-to-people forums to promote exchanges and deepen relations, noting the enduring affection Vietnamese journalists and people have reserved for Russia.

The General Director affirmed that the VNA and Russian media agencies have similarities in approaching information. In the global media context, the press needs to deliver timely, accurate news to guide public opinion and combat misinformation. Currently, the VNA is publishing a daily Russian-language bulletin, stepping up the provision of news on digital platforms, and wants to enhance cooperation with St. Petersburg’s administration and media agencies to spread reliable information to the Russian public, she stated. Trang highlighted that VNA resident correspondents in Russia have received effective support and assistance from the St. Petersburg administration in their work, from locating sites linked to President Ho Chi Minh’s first visit to the Soviet Union to producing reports on St. Petersburg such as cancer treatment, Kronstadt Peninsula, and the Scarlet Sails Festival.

She expressed her hope that St. Petersburg will continue assisting VNA journalists and explore partnerships with local media and press agencies to produce joint programmes on tourism, cultural preservation, health care, and urban management, as well as sharing media products, archival digitisation, and participating in the city's exhibitions and forums.

For his part, Evghnhi Dmitrievic thanked the VNA for its warm reception and praised the agency’s critical role in information dissemination, printing, and publishing which are considered as key areas to national development. He highlighted the importance of timely, accurate reporting and proposed appointing a dedicated VNA liaison for regular communication and coordination. St. Petersburg’s administration pledged to cooperate and provide information to Vietnam, he affirmed.

The Russian delegation also requested permission to use the VNA’s 80-year history materials for broadcast on St. Petersburg’s TV channels and digital platforms to showcase the VNA’s extensive cooperation with international partners.

Recognising the Vietnam – Russia People’s Forum as a vital bridge for the bilateral cooperation, especially in people-to-people diplomacy, the St. Petersburg official urged the VNA and Vietnamese press to increase coverage of such collaborations, thereby strengthening the traditional friendship between Russia and Vietnam./.