The First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council takes part in the Russia-Vietnam session at the Eastern Economic Forum.
First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin addressed the Russia-Vietnam session held as part of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The Senator heads the group for cooperation with the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Andrey Yatskin congratulated the Vietnamese people on the 77th anniversary of independence. He noted that vigorous development of bilateral business contacts directly depends on national legislation. This issue is on the agenda of inter-parliamentary cooperation.
“This concerns customs and migration legislation and regulations on forest resources and agriculture. Questions from businesses come to the parliament and we find solutions for them,” said Mr Yatskin.
The Senator emphasised the importance of the agreements between Russia’s regions and Vietnam’s provinces. “As the region’s chamber, the Federation Council will support any undertakings in this area.”
Andrey Yatskin reported that a delegation from the Federation Council group on cooperation with Vietnam’s National Assembly plans to visit Hanoi and a number of provinces in the next few months.
“The agenda for this visit is diverse. It includes relations in industry, transport, logistics and forestry,” he said.
The Senator noted that a number of Russian regions have agreements with Vietnamese provinces. “In 2016 Vietnam signed an agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, and today we are specifying inter-regional contracts and updating their legal framework.”
“At present, Russian-Vietnamese bilateral trade is not substantial, and we want to increase it. We understand the problems and difficulties but can overcome them. So our obvious goal is to increase trade. We urge businesses to find common ground and to build momentum,” the Senator said.
He added that education and personnel training is an important area of cooperation. He emphasised that Russian universities have increased quotas for admitting Vietnamese students. “Over a thousand Vietnamese are now studying in our country, and we hope the number will grow,” Mr Yatskin said.
Andrey Yatskin spoke separately about Vietnam’s cooperation with the Rostov Region, which he represents in the Federation Council. “The Rostov Region signed an agreement with the Vietnamese Province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau back in 2000. It was primarily about textiles and agriculture. Today, the Rostov Region is sending a business mission, headed by the Deputy Governor, to Vietnam. We hope to sign a new agreement with the province,” he said.
The session was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Dang Minh Khoi, Vice-Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association Ngo Sy Hoai, Head of the Vietnamese Trade Mission in Vladivostok Nguyen Hong Thanh, President of the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Le Truong Son, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin, and Russia’s trade representative in Vietnam Vyacheslav Kharinov.