Vietnam - Russia People's Forum contributes to strengthening "people's hearts and minds"

On October 1, meeting the delegation of the Russian Federation attending the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum, Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, said that the Forum has profound political and humanistic significance, is a new direction of people's diplomacy, contributing to consolidating the "people's hearts and minds position", deepening the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (105A Quan Thanh, Hanoi ), after the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum closed.

Propose many cooperation initiatives

At the meeting, Mr. Phan Anh Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, reported on the results of the Forum. Taking place from September 30 to October 1, the Forum achieved its goals and agenda. Some delegates said that the time was too short compared to the need for exchange because the Vietnam-Russia relationship is very special.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front met with the Russian delegation attending the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

The first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum was organized by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in coordination with the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association, the Russia - Vietnam Friendship Association and the Russia - Vietnam Cooperation Development Promotion Fund "Tradition and Friendship".

The forum gathered about 50 delegates from Saint Petersburg and Moscow (Russian Federation), including scientists, experts, scholars, doctors, legislators, lecturers and representatives of people's organizations such as: Mr. Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee; Mr. Vyacheslav G. Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee; Professor, Doctor of Medicine Vladimir Moiseenko, Director of the Napalkov Oncology Center, People's Doctor of the Russian Federation, Member of the Correspondent of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Professor, Doctor Georgy Davidovic Toloraia, Vice Chairman of the National Research Committee on BRICS, Director of the Center for Russian Strategy in Asia - Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences...

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko, officials of the Embassy, ​​the Russian Center for Science and Culture, the Russian Trade Representative Office in Hanoi, representatives of Russian enterprises in Vietnam; representatives of corporations, enterprises cooperating with Russia, research institutions, universities teaching Russian or cooperating with Russia, representatives of sister cities, Friendship Unions of some localities, Vietnam - Russia Friendship Associations at the central and local levels... also attended.

Within the framework of the Forum, there was a ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Russian Federation and 4 seminars with 24 presentations on diverse topics in the fields of education, health, cultural exchange, trade...

Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha attended and spoke at the ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Russian Federation and the opening of the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum.

Thanking Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien for taking the time to receive the delegation, Mr. Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Saint Petersburg has a tradition of close ties with Vietnam. He recalled the historical milestone when in 1923, Nguyen Ai Quoc set foot in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) and the inauguration of the Ho Chi Minh Monument in the city on June 30, 2023 - a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

He said that since August 2020, according to the decision of Governor Alexander Beglov, cooperation with Vietnam has been identified as a priority direction in Saint Petersburg's foreign affairs activities. In addition to political and diplomatic cooperation, the city has always focused on promoting people-to-people exchanges, including youth cooperation. Over the years, the city has coordinated with the Vietnamese Association in Saint Petersburg, the Russia-Vietnam Cooperation Development Fund "Tradition and Friendship" and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations to carry out many practical activities. He also mentioned the proposal to name a street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City after Leningrad or Saint Petersburg, as well as the construction of a monument to Soviet and Vietnamese experts. He affirmed that the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum in Hanoi is an event of special significance, contributing to strongly promoting the cooperative relationship between the two countries on the basis of mutual trust.

Mr. Duong Chi Kien, businessman, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Saint Petersburg, informed about the life of the Vietnamese community consisting of about 1,500 members, including 500 people doing business and living and nearly 1,000 students. He affirmed that the community is united, complies with local laws, is attached to the homeland and is a bridge to promote Vietnam - Russia relations.

Professor, Doctor of Medicine Vladimir Moiseenko, Director of the Napalkov Oncology Center, People's Doctor of the Russian Federation, Correspondent Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasized the importance of international medical cooperation, especially in cancer research and treatment. He said that the Center has cooperated for many years with the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital and on the occasion of the Forum signed a memorandum of understanding with the Friendship Hospital.

Prof. Dr. Georgy Davidovic Toloraia, Vice Chairman of the National Research Committee on BRICS, Director of the Center for Russian Strategy in Asia - Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, shared the perspective of a scholar with decades of research on Asia. He was impressed with Vietnam's remarkable development achievements and said that in the context of many changes in the world, the two countries need to promote economic, cultural and educational cooperation. As a BRICS expert, he welcomed Vietnam becoming a partner of this mechanism, emphasizing the need to increase exchanges between researchers and scholars between the two countries.

Mr. Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, shared at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

The forum has profound political and humanistic significance.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, highly appreciated the profound political and humanistic significance of the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum, considering it a new direction of people's diplomacy, contributing to consolidating the "people's hearts and minds" and deepening the friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Mr. Do Van Chien said that generations of Vietnamese people always remember and appreciate the sincere, valuable and effective help of the people of the former Soviet Union and the people of Russia today for the cause of national liberation and unification as well as in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Inheriting the traditional friendship and new developments, in 2012 the two countries upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership - the highest level in Vietnam's international relations. With an independent, self-reliant, peaceful, diversified and multilateral foreign policy, Vietnam always considers Russia a reliable and close partner.

Looking back on the nearly 40 years of renovation, he pointed out that Vietnam has made remarkable progress: from one of the poorest countries in the world to becoming a leading rice exporter, among the 32 largest economies and 20 countries with the largest trade scale in the world; people's lives have continuously improved, and by 2025, all temporary and dilapidated houses have been eliminated.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front took a souvenir photo with delegates. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

The Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front stated: The Front has a noble mission of gathering the strength of national unity, including the participation of overseas Vietnamese. He acknowledged the enthusiastic and responsible opinions of the delegates, especially on trade, training, science, technology... and said that he would report to the competent authorities to consider appropriate solutions, including the proposal to name streets and build a memorial to Soviet-Vietnamese experts.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/dien-dan-nhan-dan-viet-nga-gop-phan-cung-co-the-tran-long-dan-216681.html