Speaking at the meeting, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko spoke highly of the substantive developments in bilateral relations, affirming that Viet Nam is one of Russia’s leading important partners in Southeast Asia, and highlighting the two countries’ long-standing history, friendship and high level of political trust.
In particular, 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). According to Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshenko, the mechanism has proven effective and made an important contribution to growth in bilateral trade.
Looking towards the 26th session of the Viet Nam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on economic, trade, scientific and technical cooperation, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister proposed that the two sides focus on promoting cooperation in new and potential areas to create sustainable growth momentum.
One of the key highlights discussed by the two sides was the remarkable recovery and growth of the tourism sector. Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshenko and Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi both noted highly positive growth in tourism flows in both directions.
Regarding tourist arrivals from Russia to Viet Nam, the number has nearly doubled. While Viet Nam welcomed 690,000 Russian visitors in 2025, the figure reached 863,000 in the first half of 2026 alone, more than 1.5 times the total recorded for the whole of the previous year. The figures clearly reflect the growing appeal of Viet Nam as a destination for Russian tourists.
In the opposite direction, the number of Vietnamese tourists travelling to Russia has also recorded impressive growth. This strong growth has been driven by joint efforts to expand air connectivity. The two sides have successfully coordinated the operation of 31 flights on 15 routes connecting various cities, creating an important foundation for further expanding the air network in the coming period.
Expressing strong agreement with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko’s remarks and orientations, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi emphasised the positive development of the Viet Nam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across all fields.
The Ambassador affirmed that Viet Nam always attaches importance to and wishes to work with Russia to continue promoting substantive and effective cooperation not only in traditional areas such as politics, energy and oil and gas, but also in science, education, culture, sports and tourism, further deepening bilateral relations and bringing practical benefits to the peoples of both countries.
