During the meeting, Minh expressed his appreciation for the programmes and activities the Committee for External Relations has carried out in recent years to promote cooperation between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities, as well as the broader friendship between Viet Nam and Russia.
He commended the committee for organising numerous seminars and discussions on Viet Nam, including on the outcomes of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.
He expressed confidence that relations between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities, along with cooperation between organisations and associations on both sides, would continue to grow increasingly productive.
Evgeny Grigoriev praised Viet Nam’s foreign policy as an important factor in enhancing the country’s standing on the international stage. He also underscored the special role of Viet Nam’s revolutionary press.
At the meeting, Grigoriev spoke warmly of his visits to Viet Nam and outlined Saint Petersburg’s socio-economic achievements along with its future development priorities.
Earlier, the Nhan Dan Editor-in-Chief also met with Vyacheslav Kalganov, Deputy Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations.
Minh expressed his deep appreciation to the city authorities for their attention to the Vietnamese community, as well as their efforts to promote cooperation between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities.
According to the Nhan Dan Editor-in-Chief, the affection that generations of Russians, including younger generations, have for Viet Nam reflects the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Sharing updates on Viet Nam’s development, Minh emphasised that the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam marked a significant milestone in the country’s development. He also noted that Viet Nam is simultaneously advancing numerous major projects and initiatives with firm political commitment.
Regarding Nhan Dan, Minh stressed that the newspaper has undergone significant transformation in recent years, accelerating digital transformation and the adoption of artificial intelligence.
As Chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists Association (VJA), Minh proposed strengthening cooperation between the association and the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations.
Agreeing with the initiative put forward by the Nhan Dan Editor-in-Chief, Vyacheslav Kalganov said that cooperation between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities has grown across a wide range of sectors and continues to expand.
The signing of cooperation agreements with the VJA would help strengthen exchanges between journalists from the two countries, thereby enhancing media and communications work and helping to deepen the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Russia.
Kalganov also noted that Saint Petersburg has identified people-to-people diplomacy as a priority during the 2025-2026 period, while also seeking to expand cooperation between Leningrad Oblast and Vietnamese localities.
He also expressed hope that the Vietnamese side would continue supporting the project to build a monument in Viet Nam honouring Soviet and Vietnamese experts. In addition, he outlined plans to expand Ho Chi Minh Square in Saint Petersburg in the near future.
