Matvienko noted Vietnam's reliability as a partner of Russia

Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, during a meeting with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Tran Thanh Man, noted the high value of relations with Hanoi for Moscow. The politicians held talks on the sidelines of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent on April 6.

"Vietnam has been our closest and most reliable partner in Southeast Asia for many years and decades. We value our friendly relations with Vietnam very much," Matvienko said in an interview with her Vietnamese counterpart.

During the meeting, the parties noted the high intensity of political contacts between Moscow and Hanoi. Matvienko and Chan Thanh Minh also drew attention to the steady growth of mutual trade between Russia and Vietnam, as well as the development of cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector.

"The intention was expressed at the parliamentary level to promote the implementation of bilateral economic and energy projects, cooperation in the field of education and training, and tourist exchanges," the press service of the Federation Council reported.

Earlier, in January, the Russian Federation and Vietnam signed a comprehensive plan for the development of cooperation until 2030 following the visit of the Russian government delegation to Hanoi. According to Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, this program should contribute to a tripling of mutual trade turnover to $15 billion. It is also planned to increase the joint work of the two countries in the field of tourism.