PM Nguyen Tan Dung will pay official visits to the Federation of Russia and the Republic of Belarus on May 12-15 and on May 15-17 respectively to promote cooperation with the two countries. The visits are made at the invitations of his Russian counterpart D. Medvedev and Belarusian counterpart M. Myasnikovich. The PM’s visit to Russia is aimed at promoting the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, discussing issues of common concern and maintaining the exchanges of high-ranking mutual visits. Vietnam and Russia signed a joint declaration on their strategic partnership on March 1, 2001, which was upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership last year. Over the past ten years, the two countries have strengthened their political relations through regular exchange of high-level delegations, including the visits to Russia by Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh in October 2002 and July 2010, President Nguyen Minh Triet in August 2008 and May 2010, PM Dung in September 2007 and December 2009, NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in April 2009 and President Truong Tan Sang in July 2012. Both sides have also deployed effectively cooperative mechanisms including the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation. The two-way trade volume amounted around US$2.45 billion in 2012 and $734 million in the first quarter of 2013.  As of April 2013, Russia had 93 projects worth US$2.07 billion in Vietnam, ranking 18th among 101 countries and territories investing in the country. Meanwhile, Vietnamese businesses invested $1.7 billion through 16 projects in Russia. Meanwhile, PM Dung wants to develop the traditional ties as well as political ties with Belarus to form a basis for boosting multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. The two-way trade reached $190 million in 2012 and the two sides are speeding up coordination in such fields as agriculture, processing industries and heavy industry. With the recent passing of the Economic Cooperation Program for the 2013-2015 period, the two countries expect to bring two-way trade volume to $1 billion in the coming years.