Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Vietnam during their meeting on Tuesday in China on the occasion of the ongoing third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

President Putin accepted the invitation and also invited the top Vietnamese official to visit Russia.

Speaking at the meeting, President Thuong affirmed that Vietnam always considers Russia one of its most important partners.

Vietnam wishes to promote its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in all fields for the interests of the people and the prosperity of the two nations, he said.

President Thuong expressed his gratitude to President Putin as well as the Russian agencies and authorities for their support in the construction of President Ho Chi Minh’s statue in Saint Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia.

The Vietnamese state leader said the statue serves as a significantly meaningful symbol in the Vietnam-Russia relations.

The inauguration of this statue, which took place in late June this year, marks 100 years since President Ho Chi Minh first arrived in Petrograd, now Saint Petersburg.

The top Vietnamese official expressed his hope that Russia will continue to grant scholarships to Vietnamese students to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

For his part, President Putin stressed that Vietnam is one of Russia’s most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two leaders agreed that there is much room left for both countries to advance their ties in the years to come.

He also concurred with President Thuong on major solutions for boosting the Vietnam-Russia relations in the future, including measures to enhance mutual understanding and political trust through all-level delegation exchanges.

The two countries will expand their cooperation in trade, national security and defense, science-technology, culture-education, energy, and others.

The two leaders also discussed some regional and international issues of mutual concern at the meeting.

Presidents Thuong and Putin are attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing between Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

This year’s forum, themed ‘High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity,’ includes three high-level sessions focusing on the digital economy as a new driving force for growth, connectivity in an open global economy, and a green silk road for harmony with nature.

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