Speaking with the Moscow-based correspondent of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Daria Mishukova stressed that Viet Nam-Russia relations have been built over a long period, underpinned by a foundation of friendship and trust cultivated over many decades.
These foundations are opening up considerable room for the two sides to implement concrete projects and programmes and deliver substantive results commensurate with the potential and strengths of both countries.
Drawing on more than 30 years of research on Viet Nam, Mishukova noted that bilateral relations have witnessed positive changes. While in the past Viet Nam-Russia cooperation was often described as “not yet commensurate with its potential”, the two sides are now increasingly aware of the considerable untapped opportunities for cooperation.
One issue Mishukova particularly emphasised was the importance of thorough preparation in promoting cooperation. In her view, developing cooperation with any market requires more than sound political relations; it also demands an in-depth understanding of the market, potential partners, working practices and cultural characteristics.
She noted that Viet Nam has a sizeable community of people who understand Russia, speak Russian and possess in-depth knowledge of the country, its culture, mentality and society. By contrast, the number of Russians with a profound understanding of Viet Nam among business delegations remains relatively limited in practice. This represents a disadvantage when seeking cooperation opportunities.
According to Daria Mishukova, before businesses enter a country in search of opportunities, they need to devote sufficient time to thoroughly studying its market, demand, production and export capacity, as well as competitors. Such work requires serious preparation and a strong sense of responsibility from all parties involved.
Expectations for new areas of cooperation
According to Mishukova, trade is one of the areas offering considerable room for breakthroughs in Viet Nam-Russia relations. She noted that although bilateral trade has grown over the years, its value has yet to reach a level commensurate with the two countries’ potential.
She stressed that Viet Nam has developed trade relations with many major markets and significantly diversified its trading partners. This demonstrates the ability of Vietnamese goods to meet the stringent requirements of different markets.
Therefore, she said, more in-depth research is needed to identify products and sectors suited to the Russian market, while also determining which Russian products and technologies can meet the needs of the Vietnamese market.
The Russian expert also expressed hope that Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s State visit to the Russian Federation would generate fresh momentum for this process.
Mishukova further noted that while the two countries need major projects, they should not focus solely on a handful of very large-scale ones. Alongside strategic projects, small- and medium-scale projects should also be developed across a wide range of sectors.
Such an approach would help broaden the foundation of bilateral economic relations and reduce dependence on certain sectors or individual projects.
Another issue highlighted by Mishukova was the role of younger generations in Viet Nam-Russia relations.
She said young people are a force capable of forging new connections between the two countries in the future. Those who have opportunities to study, experience life and work in Viet Nam or Russia will gain not only professional knowledge but also first-hand understanding of the partner country, its people and culture.
Mishukova cited several recent cultural exchange activities between the two countries to illustrate the power of people-to-people exchanges. She said that if such activities were organised on a larger scale, more frequently and with broader participation from younger generations, their impact on Viet Nam-Russia relations would become increasingly evident.
She also recalled Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc’s victory at Intervision in Moscow in 2025, saying it demonstrated how culture can naturally spark interest between the peoples of the two countries. The important thing, however, is to sustain and build on that interest. An event should not simply take place and then come to an end. More activities are needed to give people in both countries, especially young people, greater opportunities to understand each other.
Regarding Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s visit, Mishukova said Viet Nam-Russia relations have already established a sufficiently strong foundation of trust for the two sides to pursue new steps forward. What is needed now, she stressed, is to translate political trust and traditional friendship into concrete cooperation programmes.
