Moscow (VNA) 🍰- Friendship, mutual understanding, and assistance are the three historical foundations of the Russia-Vietnam relationship, which have always been maintained and continue to hold significant meaning for both sides for many decades, regardless of internal and external conditions, according to a Russian expert.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (January 30, 1950-2025), Maria Zelenkova, a senior expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISI), said that amid a changing world order, with the rise of new power and economic growth centres, both Moscow and Hanoi reaffirm their interest in developing bilateral cooperation, and recognisse the opportunities in traditional fields of cooperation, as well as significant potential for new collaboration. The current geopolitical context not only does not limit the bilateral relationship but also creates momentum for both countries to view their cooperation in a new way which is adaptive to changes, particularly in the direction of digitalisation, science, and technology, said Zelenkova. She also emphasised the importance of trustworthy dialogues at the highest level, through which both sides can openly discuss all international political issues and share their views on current topics in the bilateral agenda during negotiations. Commenting on the recent developments in Russia-Vietnam cooperation following high-level visits in 2024 and early 2025, the expert noted that these regular contacts demonstrate that both nations value this form of engagement because agreements made at the highest level ensure that they will be implemented under any conditions and regardless of circumstances, which is crucial to both sides. According to Zelenkova, the high-level visits of Russian leaders to Vietnam in 2024 and 2025 are not only aimed at maintaining trustworthy dialogues between the two countries’ leaders, but also at clarifying and confirming the agreements that will be implemented by both sides in the coming years. This concerns various areas of cooperation, including energy, nuclear energy, trade, as well as science, education, and banking. From her perspective, Russia views Vietnam as one of its most trusted and friendly partners, and this has been a consistent stance in its foreign policy. This is partly because Vietnam's leaders consider Russia one of the most important directions in the country’s foreign policy and strive to develop the bilateral relationship. Vietnam is one of Russia’s priority partners in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, Vietnam is assigned the role of a “bridge” in the context of Russia’s relations with ASEAN countries, while Russia itself plays a similar role in Vietnam’s interactions with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), she added./.