At the meeting, Evgeny Grigoriev, Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations, expressed his honour in representing the city’s authorities at the forum and at this meaningful gathering. He recalled the long-standing ties between Saint Petersburg and Viet Nam, noting that in 1923, President Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, first set foot in Petrograd, now Saint Petersburg. In October 2020, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation erected a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the city, which has since become a beautiful symbol of bilateral friendship. On June 30, 2023, the Saint Petersburg authorities, together with Viet Nam, solemnly inaugurated the statue, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s first visit to Petrograd.
Affirming that Viet Nam is a priority in Saint Petersburg’s external relations, Grigoriev noted that in August 2020, Governor Alexander Beglov designated Viet Nam as one of the city’s key directions in foreign policy. Accordingly, Saint Petersburg and Viet Nam have promoted not only political and diplomatic exchanges but also multi-faceted cooperation, particularly in people-to-people diplomacy and youth exchanges.
He expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and Russian partners, including Saint Petersburg, in jointly organising the First Viet Nam–Russia People’s Forum, calling it a meaningful initiative that strengthens the mutual trust and multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the meeting, on behalf of the leadership of the Party, the State, the VFF, and the Vietnamese people, Chien expressed heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous support and solidarity that the Soviet people in the past, and the Russian people today, have extended to Viet Nam during the struggle for national independence as well as in nation-building and defence. He also extended his deep appreciation to the authorities and people of Saint Petersburg for their special affection for Viet Nam and for the solemn inauguration of the President Ho Chi Minh statue on the centenary of his first arrival in Petrograd, as well as for the warm reception accorded to General Secretary To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation during their official visit to the Russian Federation.
Reviewing the achievements of bilateral relations, Chien underlined that Viet Nam and Russia have a long-standing traditional friendship nurtured by generations of leaders and people. Over the decades, ties have expanded vigorously across various fields. In July 2012, with joint efforts, the two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership — the highest level of bilateral friendship.
Affirming that Viet Nam always attaches great importance to developing relations with the Russian Federation as well as with Saint Petersburg, Chien expressed his confidence that, building on 75 years of friendship, the Viet Nam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and people-to-people ties will continue to flourish, with mutual trust and support for each other in national development.
The Vietnamese side also welcomed the coordination among the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations, the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations, the Viet Nam–Russia Friendship Association, the Russia–Viet Nam Friendship Association, and the “Tradition and Friendship” foundation for promoting the bilateral cooperation in hosting the forum, Chien stressed that this was a highly meaningful initiative, deepening friendship and setting new directions for people-to-people diplomacy.
He further noted that the VFF and socio-political organisations have recently been reorganised under a two-tier governance model, which enhances their ability to take initiative, connect, and create favourable conditions for promoting strategic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between Viet Nam and Russia.
During the meeting, members of the Russian delegation exchanged views on strengthening people-to-people ties and discussed potential areas of cooperation, aiming to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and the Russian Federation in a more substantive and effective manner.
