Vietnam always attaches importance to developing relations with Saint Petersburg city and the Russian Federation.

Comrade Nguyen Van Chien, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, spoke at the meeting.

Comrade Nguyen Van Chien, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front spoke at the meeting.

At the meeting, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev shared the honor of representing the Saint Petersburg city government to attend the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum and to participate in this meaningful meeting.

Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev said that the relationship between Saint Petersburg and Vietnam has a long history. In 1923, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc set foot in Petrograd, now Saint Petersburg. In October 2020, Vietnam and the Russian Federation planned to erect a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Saint Petersburg, which will be a beautiful symbol in the relationship between the two countries and the two peoples of Vietnam and the Russian Federation. On June 30, 2023, the Saint Petersburg city government (Russian Federation) coordinated with the Vietnamese side to solemnly organize the inauguration ceremony of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's first visit to Petrograd, now Saint Petersburg.

Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev shared at the meeting.

Affirming that Vietnam is one of the priorities in Saint Petersburg's foreign policy, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev said that in August 2020, according to the decision of Saint Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, Vietnam was recognized as one of the priority directions in the city's foreign affairs activities. Accordingly, Saint Petersburg and Vietnam not only promote political and diplomatic activities but also promote multifaceted cooperation between the young generations of the two countries, especially in people-to-people diplomacy activities.

Expressing gratitude for the close coordination between the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and Russian and Saint Petersburg partners in organizing the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev affirmed that this is a meaningful activity, strongly promoting the multifaceted friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the spirit of mutual trust.

Speaking at the meeting, on behalf of the leaders of the Party, State, Fatherland Front and people of Vietnam, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien expressed his gratitude for the great and wholehearted help that the people of the former Soviet Union and the present-day Russian Federation have given to the Vietnamese people during the arduous years of struggle for national independence, as well as in the cause of national construction and defense today.

Comrade Do Van Chien expressed his respect and deep gratitude to the government and people of Saint Petersburg for their special affection for Vietnam and for solemnly organizing the inauguration ceremony of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Saint Petersburg on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's first visit to Petrograd; thanked the Russian government and people for the warm welcome given to General Secretary To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on their official visit to the Russian Federation.

Comrade Nguyen Van Chien presented a souvenir to Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee Evgeny Grigoriev.

Reviewing the achievements of the Vietnam-Russia bilateral relationship, comrade Do Van Chien emphasized that Vietnam and the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation today have a long-standing traditional friendship, with a long history and has been cultivated by many generations of leaders and people of the two countries. Over the past decades, the Vietnam-Russia relationship has continued to develop strongly in many fields. With the efforts of both sides, in July 2012, the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - the highest level in the friendship between the two countries and people of Vietnam and Russia.

Affirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing relations with Russia as well as with Saint Petersburg, Comrade Do Van Chien believes that, on the basis of 75 years of friendship, the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as well as the friendship between the two peoples will increasingly develop well, trust each other, and support each other in the cause of national construction and development.

Delegates take souvenir photos.

Appreciating the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations' coordination with the Saint Petersburg Foreign Affairs Committee, the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association, the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Russia-Vietnam Cooperation Development Fund "Tradition and Friendship" of the Russian Federation in organizing the first Vietnam-Russia People's Forum, comrade Do Van Chien said that this is a very meaningful activity, contributing to deepening the friendship between the people of the two countries and proposing many new directions for people-to-people diplomacy.

Comrade Do Van Chien said that currently the activities of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have been rearranged according to the two-level government model. Thanks to that, these organizations can promote their proactive role, connect, propose, and create favorable conditions for promoting strategic cooperation and people-to-people cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

At the meeting, members of the Russian Federation Delegation shared and discussed measures to promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries; areas with potential for cooperation between the two countries; connections of people-to-people diplomacy in various fields, people-to-people exchanges... Thereby, further promoting the friendship and cooperation between the people of the two countries; contributing to bringing the Vietnam-Russian Federation Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into greater depth and substance.

Khanh Lan

Source: https://nhandan.vn/viet-nam-luon-coi-trong-phat-trien-quan-he-voi-thanh-pho-saint-petersburg-va-lien-bang-nga-post912133.html