HCM City, Saint Petersburg strengthen cooperation in areas
Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan on December 4 held a working session with a delegation of Saint Petersburg led by Grigoriev Evgeny Dmitrievich, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of the Russian city.
A working session between representatives of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Saint Petersburg delegation. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA)꧒ – Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan on December 4 held a working session with a delegation of Saint Petersburg led by Grigoriev Evgeny Dmitrievich, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of the Russian city.
At the session, Hoan said HCM City is willing to promote cooperative activities with St Petersburg in trade, education, and healthcare. The city encourages and creates favourable conditions for local businesses to engage in trade with St Petersburg, while promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two localities, he said. Hoan emphasised that the city highly appreciated the signing of cooperation agreements between Vyborgsky district and Thu Duc city, and between Kronstadt district and Can Gio district, hoping the agreements will soon be translated into specific cooperation programmes and projects. Moreover, Ho Chi Minh City is ready to coordinate with St Petersburg to speed up the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the elected bodies of the two cities. For his part, the Russian official said that St Petersburg wishes to work with Ho Chi Minh City to concretise cooperation agreements into specific tasks and projects for the benefit of the people of the two countries. Highly appreciating the socio-economic potential and position of Ho Chi Minh City, he called on Ho Chi Minh City leaders to support the signing of MoUs for cooperation between districts and agencies of the two localities. Dmitrievich said that he supports the launch of direct flights between Saint Petersburg and Ho Chi Minh City./.
Russia’s Rosseti power grid company and the National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT), a subordinate company of the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) Group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to resume their long-term strategic cooperation which has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen had a meeting with Governor Alexander Beglov and Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Alexander Belsky of St. Petersburg on June 29, as he is in the Russian city to attend the inaugural of President Ho Chi Minh’s monument.
The Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg on October 5 presented certificates of merit to several individuals who have made contributions to the Russia-Vietnam friendship.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi, on behalf of the State President of Vietnam, on November 7 presented a Friendship Order to Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov in recognition of his contributions to and tireless efforts in maintaining and promoting relations between St. Petersburg and Vietnam in particular and enhancing the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Party chief attributed the achievements in the first half to the continuous, direct, and comprehensive leadership of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee, and the close and effective coordination of relevant ministries, sectors and localities.
General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the VPA’s General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defence reaffirmed Vietnam’s unwavering gratitude for Cuba’s invaluable support during its struggle for independence and nation-building efforts, and pledged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cuba as it navigates current challenges.
Vietnam is a country with which Russia shares a special relationship. In the 1950s and 60s, particularly during Vietnam’s struggle for independence, the two countries forged a deep bond. While much has changed over time, the friendship and cooperation between our nations have endured, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
For 50 years, Vietnam and New Zealand have worked together to uphold peace and prosperity for their peoples and the region. The friendship, cooperation, and mutual understanding Vietnam and New Zealand nurtured have grown from a seed into a deeply rooted, strong, and thriving tree, she stressed.
Since the Strategic Partnership was established in 2020, Vietnam and New Zealand have witnessed steady growth in the relations. Beyond the remarkable 40% increase in bilateral trade over five years, political relations and multilateral interactions, particularly within the CPTPP framework, have remained highly positive.
Known as the “four pillars for Vietnam’s ascend”, the Pobiburo's Resolutions 57, 59, 66, and 68 focus on cultivating a robust national entrepreneurial spirit, unlocking resources for innovation across society, and accelerating the development of digital economy, knowledge-based economy, green economy, and circular economy, propelling Vietnam forward rapidly and firmly on the path of modernisation and international integration.
Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang cleared up deputies' concern regarding how to spur socio-economic growth, renew traditional growth motives and establish new momentum for development.
Vietnam proposed several priorities: narrowing the digital divide, strengthening women’s leadership in the digital economy and AI governance, and mobilising sustainable financing for gender equality initiatives in line with each country’s national priorities and context. Vietnam also advocated for genuine women’s participation and leadership across all areas of public life.
Ha expressed his hope that cooperation in science and technology, agriculture, and natural resources would emerge as new focal points and engines of growth in Vietnam–China relations.
Giang said he believes that building on the solid foundation nurtured over the past half-century and the strong determination of both nations, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to grow in a more robust, comprehensive, and extensive manner, thus bringing more practical benefits to the two nations' people.
Highlighting the transformative potential of the draft law in revitalising Vietnam’s railway industry, Hoang Van Cuong, a deputy of Hanoi, expressed his support for Article 39, which empowers the Prime Minister to issue a list of railway-related goods and services to be assigned or ordered from domestic enterprises for production.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, Hoan, formerly Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, is under investigation for allegedly taking bribes in connection with a case involving the Hoang Long Construction and Manpower Supply JSC and related units.
Chairing a national conference on the organisation of the examination on June 18, the PM highlighted the historical significance of the examination, as the restructuring of provincial-level administrative units is underway and the two-tier local administration model is set to officially begin operations on July 1.
Right on the same day, the ministry issued its highest-level travel warning, urging Vietnamese citizens not to travel to Israel or Iran, and advised those already in these countries to swiftly consider evacuation or relocation plans.
From the struggles against colonialists and imperialists to the period of Doi moi (renewal) and international integration, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has always played a pioneering role on the ideological and cultural front, he said.
The Party leader's working session with the standing boards of the Party Committees of HCM City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Duong, the VNA General Director's remarks on the occasion of the 19th OANA General Assembly, the launch of new NIC - Google initiatives aimed at bolstering AI entrepreneurship and digital literacy in Vietnam are among news highlights June 18.
Vietnam and Indonesia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism as it remains a threat to peace, security, and stability across their respective nations, the broader region, and the international community.
A working session between representatives of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Saint Petersburg delegation. (Photo: VNA) 
