Moscow (VNA) – First Deputy Chairmanof the State Duma of Russia Ivan Ivanovich Melnikov has voiced his hope thatthe upcoming trip by Vietnam’s National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi KimNgan will give a new impulse to parliamentary cooperation, thus helping bolsterthe countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.

In an interview given to Vietnam News Agencyahead of Ngan’s official visit from December 8 to 12, Melnikov, who is alsoVice Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, said hiscountry attaches great importance to the trip, which is made amid the RussiaYear in Vietnam and the Vietnam Year in Russia 2019 – 2020 and on the thresholdof the 70th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties (January 30, 2020).

During the tour, Chairwoman Ngan is scheduled tomeet with Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina I. Matviyenko andChairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin, attend the first meeting ofthe inter-parliamentary cooperation committee of the Russian State Duma and theVietnamese NA, and visit Tatarstan – a federal subject with dynamic developmentand close relations with Vietnamese localities.

Melnikov noted parliamentary relationship is anintegral part of the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership. It hasconsiderably contributed to cooperation in multiple fields, enablingparliamentarians to monitor the implementation of high-level agreements.

The Vietnamese and Russian legislatures havealso been working closely with each other at international inter-parliamentaryforums and organisations, he noted.

The official affirmed the State Duma’sconsistent support for multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, adding thatparliaments in Russia, regardless of political parties and viewpoints, alwaysback the enhancement of the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.

According to him, the two sides’ task is topromote practical cooperation in different spheres and seek potentialcooperation forms to meet the interests of each side, which is also the goal ofthe inter-parliamentary cooperation committee between the Russian State Dumaand the Vietnamese NA that was set up in December 2018.

This committee aims to strengthen parliamentaryties, increase sharing legislative experience, help parliamentarians controlthe realisation of high-level agreements, promote important cooperationprojects and programmes, and boost the coordination of actions in theinternational arena.

Russia hopes that the committee will fulfill allassigned tasks and become a useful tool for making progress in thecomprehensive strategic partnership, Melnikov said.

At the coming meeting of the committee, theRussian side will pay attention to legislative assistance for bilateralconnections in potential areas such as energy, defence – security, informationand communications technology, digital economy, and cooperation among regions.It will also discuss the parliaments’ support for the expansion of educational,cultural, scientific and tourism ties, as well as people-to-people diplomacy,he added./.