Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on October 24 in Kazan, on the sidelines of the expanded BRICS Summit, to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.

The meeting underscored the importance of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, with both leaders acknowledging the robust growth of cooperation in recent years. However, they agreed that further efforts are needed to reach full potential, particularly in the areas of economics, trade, investment, and tourism.

President Putin expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he received during his state visit to Vietnam in June, highlighting the strong bond between the two nations.

He conveyed his greetings to Vietnamese leaders, including General Secretary To Lam and newly elected President Luong Cuong.

Mr. Putin praised Vietnam's efforts in implementing agreements reached between the two countries and emphasized the need to address obstacles in bilateral cooperation.

PM Chinh reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, expressing his desire to deepen cooperation in all areas.

The Vietnamese Government leader congratulated Russia on its economic development achievements and conveyed greetings from Vietnamese leaders to President Putin.

He also congratulated President Putin on successfully presiding over the BRICS Summit and the expanded BRICS Summit and related activities in 2024 in a bid to "build a better world."

Both leaders emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation into new sectors, including renewable energy and infrastructure.

They agreed to effectively implement the minutes of the 25th meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for economic, trade, and scientific and technological cooperation. Vietnam pledged to create favorable conditions for Russian investment.

Energy and oil-gas cooperation were identified as key pillars of the partnership. Both sides agreed to encourage and facilitate the expansion of activities by Vietnamese and Russian oil and gas enterprises and to promote energy cooperation projects aligned with green growth and sustainable development.

In the immediate term, both sides agreed to foster cooperation in technology transfer, training human resources, and building a team of experts for Viet Nam.

The meeting also addressed education cooperation, with Russia committing to maintain 1,000 scholarships for Vietnamese students.