Moscow (VNA) 🐼- The International Trade Day Forum 2025 (IDT-2025) took place at the World Trade Centre in Moscow on September 19, bringing together more than 1,000 delegates from over 30 Russian regions and 15 countries.

Organised by the Russian Association of Exporters and Importers, the forum is considered one of Russia’s major platforms for promoting trade and international economic cooperation. Vietnam participated as a partner country, with its delegation led by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi. Plenary discussions focused on global economic trends and their impact on Russia, as well as the country’s priorities in external economic policy. Delegates exchanged views on strengthening supply chains and expanding cooperation, particularly with BRICS members, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In his remarks, Ambassador Khoi reviewed Vietnam’s economic transformation over nearly four decades of reform and integration. He noted that Vietnam has become Russia’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, while Russia is among Vietnam’s top five European partners. Despite complex global conditions, bilateral trade grew strongly in 2024, reaching 4.6 billion USD, up 26% from the previous year. In the first eight months of 2025, trade volume rose to 3.3 billion USD, an increase of 5% year-on-year. Key projects are underway in energy, science, and technology. The ambassador stressed Vietnam’s competitive advantages, being ranked among the top 30 fastest-growing trading nations and among the 15 leading developing economies in attracting foreign direct investment. He encouraged businesses from both countries to explore cooperation in industry, food processing, high technology, and renewable energy. He also urged greater efforts to share information, improve the business environment, and organise trade fairs, exhibitions, and business delegations to strengthen mutual understanding and trust. He further proposed a roadmap to translate these opportunities into concrete, mutually beneficial projects, including boosting two-way trade and expanding market access. He voiced confidence that the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Russia will serve as a solid foundation for stronger business partnerships contributing to shared prosperity. Vietnam’s Trade Counselor in Moscow Duong Hoang Minh shared that the forum offered a valuable chance for Vietnamese firms to deepen their understanding of the Russian market, seek new clients, and navigate legal frameworks for exports. He highlighted that Vietnamese businesses are returning to Russia, while many Russian delegations have recently explored the Vietnamese market. With support from both governments, challenges in payments, transport, and logistics are gradually being resolved. He noted that companies can now conduct transactions in local currencies and ship goods directly between Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City ports of Vietnam and Russia’s Vladivostok. These new arrangements, he said, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to expand exports not only to Russia but also across the Eurasian market./.