Development of Relations With Russia is Priority for Vietnam, Foreign Minister Says

HANOI (Sputnik) - The progressive development of relations with Russia is a priority for Vietnam, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said.

"I want to assure you that Russia always remains the most important partner and the key priority in the policy of our state," Bui Thanh Son said at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

According to him, the development of ties between Russia and Vietnam and the decision to raise them to the level of strategic partnership is in the interests of both countries' peoples.

"I am deeply convinced that the high level of political trust and long-term interest in the development of our relations will continue to grow," the Vietnamese minister said.

For his part, Lavrov said Vietnam is Russia's key partner within ASEAN and in other processes on the Eurasian continent.

Vietnamese businesses are interested in further development of economic and investment cooperation with Russian companies, including in the energy sector, Sergey Lavrov said.

"Vietnamese business sees its interest and benefits in the further development of economic and investment relations with Russia. We have very close and structured cooperation in the energy sector. There are joint companies in the production and delivery of hydrocarbons to international markets, and we talked today about how these companies will continue their work," Lavrov told reporters after a meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

He added that regardless of the pandemic restrictions and "illegal sanctions," the Hanoi-Moscow trade grew by a quarter in 2021, and in the first months of 2022 this trend has been steadily continuing.