Kazan (VNA) – Vietnamese NationalAssembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met with Chairman of the State Councilof Tatarstan Farid Khayrullovich Mukhametshin in Kazan city on December 8 aspart of her official visit to Russia.

At the meeting, Ngan said Vietnam alwaysattaches importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia,considering it one of the top priorities in its foreign policy.

The Vietnamese people will forever begrateful for the wholehearted support of their Russian counterparts duringtheir past struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as thepresent cause of national construction and defence, the top legislator said.

She highlighted the fruitful politicaland diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Russia, with regular exchanges ofdelegations at all levels.

Bilateral economic, trade and investmentcooperation have developed remarkably, especially since the free tradeagreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) came intoforce in October 2016, she said.

The two leaders shared the view thatVietnam and Russia should step up economic collaboration to match their strong politicalties and the aspirations of both sides. 

Ngan pledged that Vietnam will create afavourable investment and business environment for Russian firms, includingthose from Tatarstan and Kazan, to operate effectively in the country.

Tatarstan is the leading centre of the manufacturing,chemical, light and food industries in the Volga economic region, and Vietnamis seeking partnerships in these areas, she said, adding that Vietnam alsowants to learn from Tatarstan’s experience in building IT parks.

Lauding twinning relations betweenVietnamese and Russian localities like Hanoi-Moscow, Ho Chi Minh City-StainPetersburg, Khanh Hoa-Sain Petersburg and Nghe An-Ulyanov, Ngan expressed herhope for similar links between Kazan and Vietnamese cities, as well as theRepublic of Tatarstan and Vietnamese localities.

Besides, Russia has become the biggestsource of tourists to Vietnam, with more than 600,000 Russians flocking to theSoutheast Asian nation last year. Russia is also attracting more Vietnameseholiday-makers.

Ngan, therefore, suggested strengtheningtourism links between Vietnam and Russia and Tatarstan in particular.

The leader took the occasion to call onleaders of Tatarstan to further facilitate the settlement of Vietnamese in thelocality.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation,which, Ngan said, plays an important role in their bilateral comprehensivestrategic partnership, she also informed her host about the establishment of aninter-parliamentary committee between the Vietnamese NA and Russia’s StateDuma.

This is Vietnam’s highest parliamentarycollaboration mechanism, she said, adding that the first meeting of thecommittee is set to be held during her visit.

Ngan appealed to the State Council ofTatarstan, the State Duma and the Federal Council (upper house) of Russia to workclosely with the Vietnamese NA in order to push ahead with the signing ofcooperation agreements between the two countries, enhance delegation exchanges,support each other on issues of shared concern, and expand relations betweenlocalities as well as people-to-people exchanges.

For his part, Mukhametshin noted hishope that Ngan’s visit will contribute to reinforcing relations between Vietnamand Russia, and Tatarstan as well.

He briefed the Vietnamese leader onTatarstan’s engagement in Russia’s projects and hosting sports and students’events, along with its strengths in various areas./.