President Vladimir Putin, Russian leaders, and the Russian people warmly welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. General Secretary and President To Lam said with emotion that Russia holds a special place in the hearts of the Vietnamese people. The Party, State, and people of Viet Nam have always cherished and remembered the immense support, wholehearted assistance, and effective cooperation extended to Viet Nam by the people of the former Soviet Union and, today, the Russian people.
Built on a foundation of deep political trust, steadfast and sincere friendship, and empathy between two peoples who have endured many historical trials, relations between the two countries have stood the test of time and changing political circumstances, growing ever stronger.
This is the first State visit to Russia by the head of the Vietnamese Party and State since 1991. It takes place at a time when the Viet Nam–Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has made susbtantial and comprehensive progress. Economic and trade cooperation has emerged as a pioneering area; defence and security cooperation serves as a strategic pillar; energy and oil and gas cooperation represents a strategic breakthrough; while science, technology, and education provide important momentum for taking bilateral relations to new heights.
Moscow is entering autumn, with golden sunshine illuminating its magnificent natural scenery and highlighting the splendour of its celebrated architecture and monuments — enduring symbols of a great Russia. Autumn here is memorable for its golden hues, immortalised in poetry, music, and painting, and for the depth of memories accumulated over generations that have helped shape the “Russian soul”.
Autumn also holds special significance for both countries. The histories of the two peoples share profound points of convergence, rooted in common values of independence, freedom, and peace. Viet Nam has just celebrated the 81st anniversary of the successful August Revolution — the first people’s national democratic revolution in Southeast Asia. Russia, meanwhile, is preparing to mark the 109th anniversary of the Great October Revolution which shook the world.
During his journey to seek a path to national salvation and liberation, Nguyen Ai Quoc–Ho Chi Minh carried out many important activities in the Soviet Union, now the Russian Federation, and developed a deep and enduring affection for its country and people. He laid the foundations for friendship between Viet Nam and the Russian Federation. During the most difficult years of Viet Nam’s struggle for national liberation and national construction, the country always received wholehearted and invaluable assistance from its Soviet friends. To this day, specialists, professors, engineers, and doctors who worked in and assisted Viet Nam, as well as Vietnamese officials, experts, scientists, and artists who studied and trained in the former Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation, continue to cherish fond memories of each other’s countries and peoples.
Upon the arrival of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation in Moscow, General Secretary and President To Lam met with representatives of the Russian Veterans’ Association and the Russia–Viet Nam Friendship Association. Despite their advanced age and declining health, the delegates, driven by their special affection for Viet Nam and its people, travelled long distances to attend the cordial meeting. The atmosphere was lively and warm, filled with fond memories shared by comrades and friends who had once worked in Viet Nam and contributed to the country’s development. The delegates also spoke about ongoing activities of the two associations, which are primarily aimed at young people, pupils, and students, with a focus on educating them about ideals and traditions and fostering their affection and sense of responsibility towards their homeland and the enduring friendship between the two countries.
General Secretary and President To Lam emphasised that young people are the generation that will inherit and write new chapters in Viet Nam–Russia relations. The two sides should create more opportunities for young people from both countries to deepen mutual understanding, so that the fine values of their traditional friendship can be preserved, further nurtured under new circumstances, and endure through the generations.
During their stay in Moscow, the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation attended a highly meaningful programme inaugurating the “Viet Nam–Russia Heritage and Cultural Connection Space”. Every image and artefact displayed at the programme preserves a part of the two countries’ shared memory, telling stories of friendship, solidarity, and humanistic values that have connected the Vietnamese and Russian peoples across generations.
General Secretary and President To Lam described the space as a meeting point between the past, present, and future; between heritage and creativity; and between historical memory and aspirations for a new era of cooperation. He affirmed that friendship can only truly endure when it is passed on to succeeding generations through sincere, vivid, and relatable experiences.
He noted that this is also the best way to carry forward the legacy of previous generations, inject fresh vitality into bilateral relations, and turn cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges into a strategic driving force for the Viet Nam–Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new period.
During the visit, General Secretary and President To Lam held talks with President Vladimir Putin and met with other Russian leaders. The leaders of the two countries affirmed that the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Russia, tested over time and resilient through the vicissitudes of history, is a precious asset of the two peoples.
The two sides are determined to reposition and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to better serve the interests and development strategies of each country, while making positive contributions to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. The leaders held extensive, comprehensive, and substantive discussions on their vision and major directions for deepening Viet Nam–Russia relations in the new era, while exchanging views on international and regional issues of mutual concern.
In the coming period, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation will strive to raise bilateral trade to 15 billion USD by 2030, while making science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation key pillars and major drivers of bilateral relations. The two sides will expand joint research, application, and technology transfer in artificial intelligence, digital technology, biotechnology, new materials, quantum technology, space technology, and automation. The Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant is a strategic project of long-term significance and a new symbol of Viet Nam–Russia relations. Cooperation in education and training, healthcare, culture, tourism, and labour, as well as people-to-people exchanges, will continue to be expanded, thereby strengthening the solid social foundation of bilateral ties.
General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his appreciation and called on the Government of the Russian Federation to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study, and work in Russia, integrate into local society, and fulfil its role as a bridge of friendship between the two countries. Overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese national community and an important strategic resource contributing to the country’s overall strength.
Nearly 80,000 Vietnamese people are currently living, studying, and working in Russia. Among them, Vietnamese scientists, experts, and intellectuals, with their valuable knowledge, experience, and cooperation networks, are at the forefront of connecting knowledge, science and technology and fostering new cooperation initiatives. They also help connect shared memories with the present and future, making active contributions to the development of both countries and to the special friendship between the two peoples.
With a shared commitment to cherishing and carrying forward the legacy of previous generations, nurturing the present, and shaping the future together, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation will continue to create new achievements in cooperation for the benefit of their peoples and for peace, cooperation, and development, ensuring that the friendship between the two countries remains an invaluable legacy for generations to come.
