During their talk, State President Truong Tan Sang and President Putin expressed their satisfaction at the development in the strategic partnership over the years. The political ties between the two countries has continually been consolidated, creating a firm basis and strong impetus for implementing comprehensive cooperation in all fields, including economics, trade, science, technology, defence, security and military techniques.

The two leaders noted that the trade and economic cooperation has seen strong development, especially in the strategic fields of oil and gas and atomic energy. The bilateral trade revenue continues to increase, recording nearly 1 billion USD in the first five months of this year, representing a year-to-year increase of 45.5%. However, the figures remained too modest compared to the countries’ potentials and demands so the leaders agreed to boost the work of searching and concretizing new possibilities to promote two-way trade through the commercial diversification and liberalization. Both sides affirmed the target of lifting two-way trade to 5 billion USD in 2015 and to 10 billion USD by 2020. The first important measure is early negotiating and signing a free-trade agreement between Vietnam and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
 

The leaders highly appreciated the bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy with projects on building the first nuclear power plant and the centre for nuclear science and technology in Vietnam. The Russian side pledged to ensure the progress of building the plant as scheduled and said that this would be done with the highest safety and quality.

They also highly evaluated the result of operation of oil and gas joint ventures and enterprises of the two countries. Notably, up to February 2012 the Rusvietpetro Joint Venture Company exploited two million tonnes of oil at the North Khosedayuskoye oil field in the autonomous district of Yamal-Nenets, Russia. The two sides affirmed to continue intensifying cooperation on oil and gas exploration and exploitation of Vietnam’s continental shelf and creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese-Russian joint ventures, such as Vietsovpetro, Rusvietpetro, Gazpromviet, Vietgazprom…to expand areas for oil and gas exploration and exploitation areas not only in the two countries, but also in third countries.

State President Truong Tan Sang said that Vietnam was willing to get involved in Russia’s Programme to boost socio-economic development in Eastern Siberia and the Far East and would discuss with Russian partners the possibility of establishing joint ventures producing goods, such as garments and textiles, footwear, timber products, seafood and electronics.

The leaders agreed that cooperation on technique and military between the two countries were diversified and effective and it should be promoted in a long-term and reliable basis. The Russian side said it would continue helping Vietnam train its solders so that they could master Russian military technology and equipment in Vietnam and focus attention on national defence training.

They also affirmed the need to broaden cooperation in science-technology, education and training fields and early establish a Vietnam-Russia Technology University in Hanoi and improve the efficiency of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Scientific-Technological Research Centre to meet each country’s development requirements. They took note of the active contributions made by Vietnamese citizens working and studying in Russia and Russian citizens working and studying in Vietnam in strengthening friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. State President Truong Tan Sang asked that Russia continue supporting the Vietnamese community to study, work and live on a long-term and stable manner in the country.

The leaders demonstrated high consensus on international and regional issues and expressed pleasure at the close coordination and mutual support at international and regional forums, especially at the United Nations and affirmed to continue the tradition of close coordination for the benefit of each country, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in Asia and the Pacific and the world.
 

Vietnam welcomed Russia joining the World Trade Organization and said it highly valued the country’s role and activities as chairman of the 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The Russian side also praised Vietnam’s active role and activities in ASEAN as well regional and international organizations and asked Vietnam to continue working as a bridge for the strengthening of Russia’s relations with ASEAN and other regional mechanisms with ASEAN as the core.

The two countries’ leaders affirmed that after over one decade of establishment, the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership entered into a new development stage and agreed to lift it to a higher level of the comprehensive strategic partnership.

After their talks, the two sides issued a joint statement. The leaders witnessed the signing of a number of documents. They included a protocol ratifying an agreement on judicial and legal assistance for civil and criminal issues between Vietnam and Russia and a protocol supplementing an agreement on judicial and legal assistance for legal ties and civil and criminal issues signed on August 25, 1998 between the two countries, a memorandum of understanding on the enhancement of cooperation in agriculture between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Russian Agriculture Ministry, a memorandum of understanding on the exchange of bilateral trade statistics and a joint action plan on the fight against smuggling between the General Department of Vietnam Customs and the Federal Customs Service of Russia, and a cooperation programme for the 2013-2015 period between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Russian Culture Ministry.