Viet Nam and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in maritime affairs, including naval collaboration, marine research and shipbuilding, as part of efforts to further expand their comprehensive strategic partnership.
During an official visit to Russia, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Phan Văn Giang and Aide to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Board of the Russian Federation General Nikolai Patrushev co-chaired the second Viet Nam–Russia maritime consultation meeting in Moscow on May 22.
General Giang said Viet Nam highly valued Russia’s position as a major maritime power and expressed the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense’s desire to further strengthen cooperation with the Russian Maritime Board in a more substantive, effective and comprehensive manner.
For his part, General Patrushev said maritime cooperation had become an important pillar helping deepen the Viet Nam–Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. He noted that both sides still had considerable potential for cooperation, particularly as the two countries prioritize marine economic development, ocean research and maritime security.
The two sides agreed that since the first consultation meeting held in Viet Nam, bilateral maritime cooperation had recorded positive progress in areas such as naval cooperation, shipbuilding, maritime transport, marine scientific research and personnel training.
One of the highlights discussed was scientific research cooperation under the framework of the Viet Nam-Russia Tropical Centre, especially in marine resources, island and marine environment research, and marine ecosystem conservation and restoration.
Personnel training, particularly naval officer training, they noted, was also identified as an effective area of cooperation with long-term strategic significance for both countries.
On that basis, Viet Nam and Russia agreed to continue coordinating the implementation of signed agreements, focusing on enhancing naval cooperation, expanding marine scientific research, developing maritime transport and strengthening specialized training programs.