Scholars and experts from Vietnam and Russia gathered at a seminarin Hanoi on November 16 to discuss bilateral relations in the 21 stcentury.

Diplomatic Academy of VietnamDirector, Dang Dinh Quy, Director of the ASEAN Research Centre under theMoscow State Institute of International Relations ( MGIMO University), Victor Sumsky, and Russian Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrey Kovtun,all affirmed that the traditional ties of friendship between the twocountries have been fostered through periods. The 21 st century hasalready witnessed the time-honoured bilateral relationship developfurther.

The two countries presently assume activeroles in mechanisms of international cooperation frameworks, and workwith the international community to address regional and internationalissues.

The seminar offered a valuable opportunity for the twocountries’ scholars to discuss measures designed to promote thestrategic partnership, especially in security, economics, trade,culture, and education cooperation.

The focus of the seminarwas reform processes in Vietnam and Russia over the past 20 years,bilateral relations between Vietnam and Russia in the 21 stcentury, Vietnamese-
Russian relations in East Asia , and Vietnamese-Russian cooperation on global issues.

They also discussed ways to help the two countries make practicalcontributions to each nation’s individual development strategy, as wellas peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the world.-VNA