As your tenure draws to a close, what achievements in cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Russian localities and partners stand out as the most meaningful and memorable to you?
The first years of my tenure in Ho Chi Minh City coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, when border closures severely restricted international exchanges. Fortunately, once the pandemic subsided, our contacts were not only restored but also expanded rapidly. Since then, cooperation between Russian regions and Ho Chi Minh City in particular has intensified.
This progress is particularly evident in Vietnam’s relations with Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia’s two largest cities. In 2023, St. Petersburg unveiled its second monument to President Ho Chi Minh and the fifth in Russia, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his first visit to the city. The monument reflects the deep respect that the Russian people continue to hold for the great Vietnamese leader.
Beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, many other Russian regions, including Rostov, Ryazan, and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), have also expressed strong interest in strengthening ties with Ho Chi Minh City.
I would also like to commend the city’s effective approach to international engagement through initiatives such as the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum (HEF) and the Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue, which have become valuable platforms for expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
Among the highlights of my tenure have been the Moscow Days in Ho Chi Minh City, held in December last year, and the Russian Culture Days, held in March this year, which were represented by the Omsk City People’s Choir. These events once again demonstrated the closeness of our spiritual grounds and the affinity of our peoples’ traditions and cultural values.
Over the years, the bilateral exchange of goods and services has significantly expanded as economic and trade ties have been growing not only quantitatively but also qualitatively.
Beyond that, fruitful and mutually-beneficial cooperation in the scientific field continues within the framework of the Joint Tropical Center, which has a branch in Ho Chi Minh City.
What role do Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam play in Vietnam-Russia cooperation today, particularly in economic development, education, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges?
Cooperation between our countries is actively developing and encompasses many areas, including trade, energy, engineering, high technology, agriculture, finance, science, culture, and security and defense. This list is constantly growing. Russia, for example, has recently succeeded in carving out a niche in Vietnam’s commercial transport market.
Ho Chi Minh City is a rapidly-growing financial and technological center that plays a key role in shaping Vietnam’s future. Apart from being the country’s largest industrial center, it is also home to a large number of universities, research institutions, and technology centers. Ho Chi Minh City serves as a testing ground for innovative models of economic management, public administration, and social development. It is actively engaged in international cooperation, which is highly valued by its leadership. We see significant potential to further expand bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas, from education to smart city technologies.
As Ho Chi Minh City advances new growth drivers such as innovation, digital transformation, and the green economy, where do you see the greatest opportunities for Russian businesses?
Russian regions and Ho Chi Minh City have enormous potential to develop partnerships across a wide variety of areas, including technology modernization, engineering, smart cities, digital infrastructure solutions, logistics, food processing, manufacturing, the textile industry, trade, agriculture, security and law enforcement, disaster management, transportation and logistics, telecommunications, banking and finance, healthcare, science, culture, education, tourism, and sports.
The prospects for bilateral trade are virtually endless. We are ready to meet Vietnam’s needs for energy, timber, meat, cereals, fertilizers, confectionery, pharmaceuticals, polymer products, and environmentally-friendly fisheries products such as salmon, pollock, and crab. At the same time, not only are Vietnamese coffee and textiles becoming increasingly popular in Russia, but electronics and computers are also gaining popularity.
How do you assess the potential for expanding cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Russian institutions in education, scientific research, and technology transfer?
Russia possesses unique technologies and expertise in many important fields, from nuclear physics to astronautics, and from cancer treatment and forest fire forecasting to metro construction.
The Moscow Metro, built in 1935, is one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated metro systems. It now comprises more than 15 lines and several hundred stations, carries around 8 million passengers daily, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful metro systems in the world. Moscow’s urban transportation system includes not only the metro, trams, trolleybuses, electric buses, and electric trains, but also passenger boats. As Ho Chi Minh City plans to further develop its transportation system, cooperation in this area is particularly promising.
New areas of partnership are also emerging, with nuclear energy being a prime example. Preparations are already underway for the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant, which will provide the country’s growing economy with much-needed electricity and strengthen its energy security. The project will lay the foundation for an entirely new technological field, creating demand for Vietnamese experts and engineers with specialized skills. Russia is ready to support Vietnam not only by building the plant but also by providing advanced technologies and helping train a new generation of nuclear specialists.
Systematic cooperation is also underway in the fields of high technology and cybersecurity, with new prospects opening up in healthcare and education. Law enforcement also deserves special attention. Given Vietnam’s ambitious plans to develop world-class tourism destinations in the southern region, closer cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of our two countries will become increasingly important. Russia’s experience in combating terrorism and organized crime could be valuable for Vietnam.
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have long been a cornerstone of Vietnam-Russia relations. What should be done to help younger generations in Vietnam better understand Russia and preserve the traditional friendship between our two countries?
Our bilateral relations are built on a solid foundation of traditional friendship and mutually-beneficial cooperation, which has served, continues to serve, and will continue to serve the interests of the peoples of both countries.
Of course, global conflicts, economic interdependence, and new challenges and threats require every country to adopt a pragmatic approach to its foreign policy. Today, the world is experiencing yet another existential crisis. Wars are raging across nearly every continent, reflecting attempts to alter the balance of power and restore a unipolar world in which a single bloc of states dictates the terms of existence for all humanity. We are witnessing the inhumane destruction of entire states, the deaths of innocent people, the unscrupulous and inhumane behavior of individual countries, and a complete disregard for international law.
The young people of Vietnam face crucial challenges. Their ancestors fought for peace and gave them a free country that has transformed from a backward colony into one of the most developed nations in the region. It is vital to remember that the ideology of colonialism has not disappeared; it has simply evolved into a new form. Colonies were once conquered through fire and blood, but today they are being conquered through economic instruments and information influence.
History is being rewritten. Former aggressors are portrayed as saviors, liberators are labelled invaders, and yesterday’s friends are presented as enemies. Young people in many countries no longer know the price their ancestors paid for freedom and peace, or against whom they fought to achieve independence.
During such times, it is especially important to remember the lessons of history and draw the right conclusions, because it is in moments like these that masks are removed and the true nature of friends and partners is revealed.
The great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov once said: “A nation that ignores its history has no future.” I would like to encourage Vietnamese youth to follow the legacy of the great Ho Chi Minh, to understand the history of their country and to build upon its achievements for the benefit of future generations. I would also like to quote President Ho Chi Minh: “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.”
As you conclude your mission in Vietnam, what message would you like to convey about the future of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Russian Federation, particularly at the local and city levels?
Having lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City for more than five years, I have had the privilege of witnessing the city’s remarkable transformation firsthand. I saw how it overcame the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, entered a new phase of development driven by major administrative and governance reforms.
The goals set by the city’s leadership are truly ambitious. I sincerely hope that all of these plans will be realized. For example, the vision of making Ho Chi Minh City one of the world’s Top 100 cities by 2050 is an enormous undertaking that will require extraordinary determination and sustained effort.
I am confident that these aspirations can be achieved because the city’s leadership has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to overcome even the most daunting challenges.
For our part, Russia remains ready to strengthen cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City. There is tremendous potential for collaboration across a broad range of sectors, including science and technology, education, engineering, transport, smart cities, energy, and many others. With extensive expertise and practical experience in these fields, Russia stands ready to share its knowledge and work closely with its Vietnamese partners.
Once again, I would like to reaffirm that the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City, together with other Russian institutions in Vietnam, will remain committed to supporting, promoting and further deepening bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest.
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