Vietnam, Russia step up maritime cooperation

Vietnam 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 Defence General Phan Van Giang and Aide to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Board of the Russian Federation General Nikolai Patrushev co-chaired the second Vietnam Russia maritime consultation meeting in Moscow on May 22.

General Giang said Vietnam highly values Russia’s position as a major maritime power and expressed the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence’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 has become an important pillar helping deepen the Vietnam Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. He noted that both sides still have considerable potential for cooperation, particularly as the two countries prioritise marine economic development, ocean research and maritime security.

The two sides agreed that since the first consultation meeting held in Vietnam, bilateral maritime cooperation has recorded positive progress in areas such as naval cooperation, shipbuilding, maritime transport, marine scientific research and personnel training.

An overview of the second Vietnam Russia maritime consultation meeting in Moscow on May 22 (Photo: VNA)

One of the highlights discussed was scientific research cooperation under the framework of the Vietnam-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, is also identified as an effective area of cooperation with long-term strategic significance for both countries.

On that basis, Vietnam 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 specialised training programmes.

At the event, the two sides signed and exchanged a cooperation plan for maritime affairs for the 2026 2030 period between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the Russian Maritime Board, creating a new framework for bilateral cooperation in the coming years. Also on May 22, General Phan Van Giang met with General Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

At the meeting, General Giang praised the positive development of the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia across various fields, with defence and oil and gas energy cooperation continuing to serve as key pillars.

The two sides discussed measures to deepen defence cooperation, focusing on training, technology transfer, scientific research, humanitarian mine clearance and military history education.

General Shoigu reaffirmed that Russia considers Vietnam a priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region and expressed hope that both countries will continue effectively implementing high-level agreements to strengthen strategic trust and expand bilateral defence cooperation.

As part of the trip, the high-level delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence also visited the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) and a shipbuilding enterprise in Moscow to learn more about Russia’s defence industry and shipbuilding capabilities./.