The cross years will be held in 2019−2020 to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Vietnam and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Agreement on Friendly Relations.
Dmitry Medvedev’s speech at the ceremony:
Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Zaryadye concert hall during the ceremony of launching the cross years of Russia and Vietnam
Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a concert marking the launching of the cross years of Russia and Vietnam
Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Zaryadye concert hall during the ceremony of launching the cross years of Russia and Vietnam
Dear Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
I would like first of all to greet my colleague Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc with whom we are jointly launching the Year of Russia in Vietnam and the Year of Vietnam in Russia. This wonderful initiative underscores the special and diverse nature of Russian-Vietnamese cooperation and our desire to strengthen it in every possible way.
We are meeting as we celebrate some special and memorable dates – the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Principles of Friendly Relations between Russia and Vietnam and the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. It is significant that the friendship and mutual appreciation of our peoples have continually grown throughout these decades. We carefully preserve a common history, remember the solidarity and support for the Vietnamese people during the heroic struggle for freedom and independence, the assistance rendered in the subsequent recovery of the country, and we sincerely rejoice at the progress of our Vietnamese friends in developing the economy, the social sphere, and the strengthening of Vietnam’s authority in the region and in the international arena.
Close economic cooperation has evolved between Russia and Vietnam. Large and promising joint projects are underway in energy, manufacturing, investment and high-tech sector and in agriculture.
Vietnam is the first nation to conclude a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. I am confident that this interaction will proceed for our mutual benefit.
We are happy that the Vietnamese people love and appreciate Russian culture, classical and modern art, as well as literature, while Russians are increasingly discovering Vietnam’s rich history, authentic music and art, primarily during tours of your wonderful country. Last year alone over 600,000 Russians visited Vietnam. And Russian visitors are always blessed with a warm and sincere welcome.
We work together in education, in personnel training. Many Vietnamese citizens, including those here in this hall, have studied in our country and have an excellent command of Russian. And today Vietnamese youth are happy to learn Russian and be educated in Russia.
The exhibitions, concerts, and film screenings under the cross year programmes will offer our citizens a good opportunity to get a closer look at national traditions, to know and understand each other better.
I would like to wish the organisers and participants of the events – which number over 100, and as we mentioned earlier, there may be closer to 200 – success. I am confident that these cross years will be a new page in the history of Russian-Vietnamese relations and will serve to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between our nations.
Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s speech at the ceremony (via interpreter):
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, Russian and Vietnamese friends,
First of all, it is a pleasure to greet you at the opening ceremony for the Year of Vietnam in Russia and the Year of Russia in Vietnam.
Relations of sincere fraternal friendship and profound mutual trust between Vietnam and Russia have endured many ordeals. Their history is closely linked with the difficult period of our struggle for independence and for building a prosperous state. Exactly 25 years ago, in June 1994, Vietnam signed a treaty on the fundamentals of friendly relations with Russia, a leading global power. This heralded a new stage in their development. In connection with this important milestone and the upcoming 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, due to be marked in January 2020, a joint decision was adopted to hold the Year of Vietnam in Russia and the Year of Russia in Vietnam. This will be done in the interests of further strengthening the traditions of friendship and diverse cooperation.
This highly significant event in the history of Vietnamese-Russian ties aims to organise cultural events, to celebrate memorable dates and to hold conferences and presentations in various regions of Vietnam and Russia. The people of both our countries will enjoy outstanding performances and gain an insight into the culture of ethnic groups in the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as their tourism potential, national cuisine, cinema and painting. This will expand their perception of our states’ life today, their history and traditions.
Many celebrations and cultural exchanges aiming to strengthen the traditional friendship between our nations will take place during the cross years. This friendship is a reliable foundation of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam. In this context, we should single out the organisation of large-scale youth forums creating favourable conditions for greater mutual understanding for new generations of Vietnamese and Russian citizens and ensuring the continuity of Russian-Vietnamese relations.
The Year of Vietnam in Russia and the Year of Russia in Vietnam will be an excellent opportunity for advancing our substantive and multi-faceted cooperation. Closer interaction between our countries’ ministries, agencies and regions will facilitate a search for new growth points in bilateral cooperation. Numerous events promoting trade and investment in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Russia will make it possible to establish contacts and expand cooperation between our countries’ business communities.
Many Vietnamese have fond memories of Russia and its open and friendly people. I am sure that more of our people will choose the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a place of work, leisure and studies for themselves and their families after the Year of Vietnam in Russia and the Year of Russia in Vietnam. The same can be said about entrepreneurs who will discover new cooperation opportunities. This will contribute to boosting the efficiency of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in the name of and for the benefit of our countries and peoples.
I am confident that the Year of Russia in Vietnam and the Year of Vietnam in Russia will be an enormous success.
I hope the traditional relations of friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam will grow stronger and develop still further.