The workshop was co-chaired by Ms. Elena Kalinina, Chairwoman of the Saint Petersburg Branch of the Russian Women's Union, Director of the Saint Petersburg Institute of Socio-Economics , Ambassador of Saint Petersburg and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations.
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| Workshop on "People-to-people exchange and local cooperation" within the framework of the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
In his opening speech, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung said that in the 75 years of official diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, formerly Vietnam and the Soviet Union, the two countries have achieved many achievements in the fields of politics , security, economy, culture and society. In particular, people-to-people exchange has been firmly nurtured over many years, increasingly developed and become an important foundation in bilateral relations.
A memorable milestone was in 1923, President Ho Chi Minh came to Saint Petersburg, opening the relationship between the people of the two countries and laying the foundation for long-term cooperation later. Immediately after establishing diplomatic relations, the Vietnam - Soviet Union Friendship Association, now the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association, along with many other people's organizations actively promoted the relationship between the people of the two countries.
Currently, there are about 20 pairs of local cooperation between provinces and cities of Vietnam and the Russian Federation, in which Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Moscow and Saint Petersburg are leading with active exchange activities. Recent visits and statements by leaders of the two countries have emphasized the importance of strengthening local cooperation and people-to-people exchange.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, to implement this orientation, not only the agencies in charge of foreign affairs but also the entire political system and people of the two countries need to participate, in order to promote the good tradition in people-to-people relations, creating a foundation for realizing common development goals.
Based on that orientation, within the framework of the first Vietnam - Russia People's Forum, the workshops focused on reviewing people-to-people relations and local cooperation, sharing experiences, and proposing measures to enhance exchanges, thereby promoting peace, development, and contributing to the common progressive goals of humanity.
At the workshop, delegates exchanged many rich contents, reflecting the multifaceted ties between the people and localities of the two countries, and at the same time made many breakthrough proposals.
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| Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association Trinh Quoc Khanh presented a speech at the workshop. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Presenting a paper on the Soviet space pilot hero Gherman Titov, Major General, Professor, Academician Trinh Quoc Khanh, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association, said that Gherman Titov had a close relationship with Vietnam. In 1962, at the invitation of the Party, the Government and President Ho Chi Minh, he visited Vietnam, including a visit to Ha Long on January 22, 1962. President Ho Chi Minh named the island in Ha Long Bay Titov Island, marking this special relationship. From 1966 to 1991, Titov held the position of President of the Soviet - Vietnam Friendship Association, dedicating 25 years during the difficult period for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, when the Soviet Union supported Vietnam with experts, technology and materials for the war against American imperialism. After 1991, he became Honorary President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association until 2000. He visited Vietnam many times and received Vietnamese delegations to the Soviet Union.
Gherman Titov was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal, the Friendship Medal, and the title of Hero of Labor of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam by the State of Vietnam, in recognition of his great contributions to strengthening and developing the Vietnam-Russia people-to-people relations.
To commemorate Titov's contributions, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association, with the support of the Russia - Vietnam Friendship Association, built a statue of him on Titov Island, Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh. This is not only a symbol of Soviet-Vietnamese friendship but also associated with profound memories between President Ho Chi Minh and Gherman Titov.
Major General Trinh Quoc Khanh emphasized: In Vietnam, there are many places and works associated with the Vietnam - Soviet Union and Vietnam - Russia friendship, built with technical and financial support from the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation in the fields of industry, energy, transportation, science, education, culture - art. Special works include the memorial to Soviet, Russian and Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed for peace in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa, and the Vietnam - Soviet solidarity and friendship monument at the Vietnam Military History Museum, inaugurated on August 29, 2020. Emphasizing the tradition of "remembering the source of water", he expressed his hope that the younger generation will always remember and carry out the values of lasting friendship between the two nations.
According to Mr. Le Phu Anh, expert of the Youth Union Working Committee - Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Vietnamese and Russian youth are the pioneering force in cooperation in education, science - technology, culture, sports, startups and sustainable development. Strengthening cooperation in new fields will create conditions for the young generation of the two countries to acquire modern knowledge, promote the strengths of each country, and at the same time form a closely-knit network of young human resources. In the field of science and technology, it is necessary to promote joint research cooperation, especially in artificial intelligence, clean energy, cyber security, new technology and other high-tech fields, thereby promoting the creativity and adaptability of young people. Creating a favorable environment for young people to start businesses, innovate and cooperate across borders, along with cultural, artistic, sports and media exchange activities, will help connect the young generation of Vietnam and Russia, promote sustainable development and strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership.
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| Mr. Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of Hanoi Business Association, presented a speech at the Workshop. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Mr. Nguyen Hong Son, Chairman of the Hanoi Business Association (HBA), emphasized that economic cooperation is closely linked to people-to-people exchanges, considering understanding and trust between people as the foundation for sustainable cooperation, especially in relations with the Russian Federation. In 2024-2025, HBA and the Vietnam Association for Consumer Goods Development (VACOD) organized many activities connecting businesses of the two countries, attended the BRICS Urban Economic Forum, the Vietnam - Russia Trade Conference, signed cooperation agreements with organizations in Saint Petersburg and connected the fields of health, education and culture. Cooperation in education and health is emphasized with the goal of supporting international students, exchanging experts, transferring technology and improving the quality of life for the two countries' communities.
He proposed promoting trade, investment and industrial park - logistics projects; strengthening cooperation in health, education - training, science and technology, energy, innovation, culture and tourism; creating favorable mechanisms for experts and businesses, including simplifying immigration procedures; expanding local-level connections and building transparent and effective support mechanisms. Notably, he asked the Saint Petersburg government to support a headquarters named "Vietnam House" to introduce Vietnamese culture and products.
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| Ms. Margarita Mudrak, Chairwoman of the Council of the Interregional International Cooperation Association, presented a speech at the Workshop. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Ms. Margarita Mudrak, Chairwoman of the Council of the Interregional International Cooperation Association, emphasized the role of people's diplomacy in the context of international turmoil. She proposed initiatives to promote cultural, educational, scientific and technological cooperation, especially attracting young people through summer camps, summer schools, specialized seminars, communication programs on Vietnamese-Russian young scientists' achievements, and plans to organize the festival "Saint Petersburg - Vietnam: Cultural Dialogue" in 2026.
Sharing experiences in digital transformation in Saint Petersburg, Mr. Dmitry V. Kuz'min, Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for Informatization and Communications, emphasized more than 20 years of experience in developing digitalization with more than 100 urban information systems, including state management, healthcare, education, transportation, social services and security, along with reliable infrastructure and cybersecurity technology. He presented effective implementation methods such as city management using digital twins, software robot applications (RPA) saving hundreds of thousands of labor hours, training IT human resources and the "Safe City" project integrating many urban surveillance systems. He affirmed that Saint Petersburg is ready to share experiences, organize training and develop common solutions, building a "high-tech bridge" of cooperation with Vietnam for the development of the two countries.
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| Mr. Vyacheslav G. Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, presented a speech at the Workshop. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Mr. Vyacheslav G. Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Saint Petersburg, said that Saint Petersburg is the Russian locality with the largest number of twinned relations, currently having 8 twinned cities and localities in Southeast Asia, of which the most are in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Duc (twinned with Vyborgsky district) (from 2023), Can Gio (twinned with Kronstadt district), Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, Dien Bien, Sam Son (twinned with the central district). Since mid-2017, the Saint Petersburg city government has proactively promoted bilateral cooperation, bringing the relationship to a new level. Since 2020, according to the decision of Governor Alexander Dmitrievich Beglov, cooperation with Vietnam has been identified as a priority direction in Saint Petersburg's foreign affairs activities. To date, Saint Petersburg has been recognized as Russia's leading locality in terms of quality and quantity of annual activities in coordination with Vietnam.
The city has implemented work according to project principles, continuously organizing a series of events to celebrate Vietnam-Russia friendship, such as Vietnam Week, Vietnamese Language Festival, erecting statues and Ho Chi Minh Square, and signing many bilateral agreements with Vietnamese organizations such as the Lawyers' Association, the Women's Union, HBA and VACOD. Cooperating with specialized agencies, including the Saint Petersburg Archives Committee and the Archives Department - Central Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam, regularly organizing historical and cultural exhibitions, attracting active participation of young people. The two sides also developed youth cooperation, exchanged student delegations between Saint Petersburg and Dien Bien, creating a foundation for long-term educational and cultural exchanges. Official visits by leaders of Vietnam and Saint Petersburg, and signing agreements between major cities such as Saint Petersburg - Hanoi, have strengthened the relationship of trust, friendship and diversified cooperation in many fields. He stressed that all activities are aimed at practical results, with the accompaniment of Vietnamese friends, to deepen the friendship between the two peoples.
Concluding the workshop, Ms. Elena Kalinina thanked the speakers and participants for their valuable contributions to promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between localities. She said that the workshop was an opportunity for the parties to present their opinions and propose common development solutions, creating a foundation for future cooperation. The proposals made at the workshop will be implemented and realized by the organizing committee in the coming time, through the cooperation agreements that will be signed soon.
On this occasion, Ms. Elena Kalinina respectfully invited representatives of the Vietnam Women's Union, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association to attend the 30th Conference of the Russian Women's Union in November 2026, to continue promoting cooperation and opportunities for women.
Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/nhieu-de-xuat-thuc-day-giao-luu-nhan-dan-va-hop-tac-dia-phuong-viet-nga-216676.html
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