Red carpet welcome for Russian president A red carpet welcome was given to Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 1. Mr Putin is in Vietnam for a three-day official visit, the first in his capacity as Russian President, from February 28. President Tran Duc Luong and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem were prominent among those present at the welcoming ceremony. President Luong warmly welcome the visit by his Russian counterpart, describing it as an important landmark in the time-honoured friendship and co-operation between the two countries. The Vietnamese leader affirmed Vietnam always attaches importance to consolidating and strengthening traditional ties with the Russian Federation. He said that boosting relations with Russia is a long-term strategy of Vietnam's foreign policy. President Luong said he hoped that the current Vietnam visit by the Russian President will create a momentum to bring the Vietnam-Russia economic-commercial co-operation on a par with their fine political relations. The move, he noted, will provide a significant material basis for sustainable development of the traditional, comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, meeting the aspiration and interests of the two people, thus contributing to regional and world peace, stability and development. President Putin expressed his joy at visiting Vietnam, a beautiful country, and at witnessing the achievements recorded by the heroic Vietnamese people in their national renovation and construction. The Russian President expressed his sincere thanks to President Tran Duc Luong, the Vietnamese State, government and people for their hospitality. He noted with satisfaction the fine development of the relationship in political, economic, cultural and scientific and technological areas between the two countries over the past years. "As far as the Russian Federation's external relations in Asia are concerned," he stressed "Friendship and multi-faceted co-operation with Vietnam will enjoy priority." He said he believed that the visit would help the two parties continue discussing measures to better promote close coordination in developing Vietnam-Russia co-operation in conformity with each country's potential and desire. Immediately after the grand welcoming ceremony, President Tran Duc Luong held talks with President Putin. (VNA) **** Vietnam - Russia summit held President Tran Duc Luong held long talks with his visiting Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on March 1. He warmly welcomed his guest, the first Russian President to visit Vietnam, and his entourage. The two men briefed each other about the situation in their countries, agreed to orientations and measures to further develop their comprehensive co-operation in the first years of the 21st century and exchanged views about regional and international issues of mutual concern. President Luong said he was delighted with the encouraging results gained by the Russian people under Mr Putin's presidency. They had maintained political and social stability and economic development while defending their sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said he believed that led by President Putin and his administration and with warm support of the Russian people, Russia's status in the world would be gradually restored. President Luong thanked the Russian people for their valuable and effective help to Vietnam in its struggle for independence, freedom and unification. He emphasised that his country's comprehensive co-operation with Russia was an important factor in the success of its renovation, industrialisation and modernisation. President Luong re-stated Vietnam's policy of constantly strengthening and further developing the traditional friendship and multi-form co-operation with Russia as a priority and long-term strategic orientation in the external policy of the Vietnam Communist Party and State. President Putin praised the achievements of the Vietnamese people through renovation and raising their country's international role. He affirmed that Russia thinks Vietnam a strategic partner in south-east Asia and would continue strengthening and developing its comprehensive co-operation with the country. The two presidents said they were pleased with and highly appreciated the new steps in the development of the multiform co-operation between their countries. They said co-operation between Vietnam and Russia was having a practical effect, thus contributing to stability and development in each country and strengthening peace and co-operation in the south-east Asia, Asia-Pacific and the world. They agreed to establish a mechanism for regular political dialogue, enhance their international high-level contacts and unceasingly expand the effective co-operation between the two countries, especially in oil and gas, electricity generation, science-technology, technology, education and training. President Luong said the first visit to Vietnam by President Putin was an historical milestone in the more than 50 years relationship between Vietnam and Russia. It would open a new stage to and bring their multi-form co-operation to a new height that met the aspirations of the peoples of each country, for peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world. President Putin invited President Luong and his wife to visit Russia at an appropriate time and the invitation was accepted with pleasure. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Russia sign Joint Statement, co-operation agreements President Tran Duc Luong (right) and President Vladimir Putin sign Vietnam-Russia Joint Statement. A Joint Statement for a Strategic Partnership between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation was signed in Hanoi on March 1, by President Tran Duc Luong and President Putin. The two presidents also witnessed the signing, and renewing of four bilateral co-operation agreements. These were: An agreement for co-operation between the foreign trade banks of the two countries, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vietnam's Search-and-Rescue Commission and Russia's Ministry for Militia Affairs, Emergencies and Settlement of Natural Disaster Consequences; agreement for co-operation in standardisation, measurements and certifications as well as co-operation in the mutual acknowledgement of trademarks and experimental results between Vietnam's Ministry of Sciences, Technology and Environment and Russia's State Commission for Standardisation and Measurement. Also signed were a protocol attached to the agreement between the Vietnamese and Russian governments for continued co-operation in exploration and exploitation of oil and gas on Vietnam's southern continental shelf to be carried out by the joint venture enterprise Vietsovpetro agreed on July 17, 1991 and revaluation of the legal basis and validity of treaties and agreements signed by both countries to boost bilateral ties. (VNA) **** Vietnamese, Russian leaders meet press Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, assured reporters in Hanoi on March 1 that their countries were determined to enhance bilateral co-operation in all fields, politically, economically, socially, culturally, educationally and scientifically. At a joint news conference, held immediately after they witnessed the signing of co-operation agreements, the presidents told reporters that their countries would continue consolidating and developing their friendship and traditional co-operation in the interests of both and for peace, stability, co-operation and prosperity in the region and the world. After briefing the media about the outcome of his talks with Russian President Putin, President Luong said that Vietnam and Russia had worked in recent years to maintain their close friendly ties, solidarity and effective multi-faceted co-operation for mutual benefit. "Having common viewpoints and interests in a number of regional and global issues, the two countries have always supported each other in regional and international forums," President Luong said. He added that Vietnam-Russia friendship and co-operation - which was established and had been fostered for more than a half century - was developing smoothly. Noting with satisfaction the results of their high-profile talks, President Putin said that his country would further boost bilateral multi-faceted co-operation by redoubling its efforts to implement newly-signed agreements. He said that Vietnam and Russia had just signed important documents including a Joint Statement, outlining orientation and guidelines for the development of long-term co-operation between the two countries. President Putin emphasised that further boosts to economic and commercial co-operation would encourage the Vietnamese and Russian government agencies, branches and localities to expand bilateral links to match the potential of the two countries. He said that steps to bolster co-operation in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, energy, ship building, culture, tourism, science, technology, education and training had also been discussed. (VNA) **** Russian president presented Ho Chi Minh Order President Vladimir Putin was presented with the Ho Chi Minh Order, the most valuable prize of the State and people of Vietnam, at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 1 on the occasion of the visit to Vietnam by the Russian president. This follows the Russian president¹s contributions in strengthening the traditional friendship and co-operation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation. Also on this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Khristenko and Foreign Minister Ivanov were presented with the Friendship Order for their great contributions to strengthening traditional ties between the two countries. VNA At the presentation ceremony, President Tran Duc Luong affirmed that these prizes symbolise the sincere thanks of the State and people of Vietnam to the State and people of Russia for their valuable assistance during the struggles for national independence of the Vietnamese people in the past. The prizes also express high appreciation of new development in the traditional friendship and co-operation between the two countries in the past and strategic partnership at present. President Putin, on behalf of the Russian leaders presented with the honourable orders, expressed his sincere thanks for the high appreciation of contributions of the Russian leaders in strengthening friendship and co-operation by the State, government and people of Vietnam. He said that the prizes were not only honour but also responsibilities of the Russian leaders for further consolidating the traditional ties between Vietnam and Russia. **** Banquet held for Russian guests President Tran Duc Luong gave a banquet to President Vladimir Putin and his entourage in the evening of March 1. At the banquet to the Russian guests President Luong delivered a speech to welcome the visit by the Russian president. On the same day, President Putin and his entourage saw a special performance of Vietnamese artists at the Opera House. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
