General Phan Van Giang received the Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Federal Maritime Council of the Russian Federation.

On the afternoon of September 15, at the Ministry of National Defense Headquarters, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, held talks with Assistant to the President, Chairman of the Russian Federation Maritime Council Nikolai Patrushev.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, welcomed Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Federal Maritime Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Welcoming Mr. Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President, Chairman of the Russian Federation Maritime Council and the delegation on their visit to Vietnam, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that this visit of the delegation is of great significance, aiming to concretize the major orientations of the Vietnam-Russian Federation Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new cooperation period agreed upon by General Secretary To Lam and President V. Putin in May 2025.

The Minister affirmed that the Vietnamese people always remember and appreciate the great, effective, righteous and wholehearted support and assistance of the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation today in the struggle for independence, national reunification and national construction and defense.

Recently, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense completed the Vietnam-Soviet Union Solidarity and Friendship Statue Complex at the Vietnam Military History Museum to pay tribute to Soviet military experts who helped Vietnam. The Minister expressed his belief that together with the Memorial to Soviet, Russian and Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed for peace and regional stability in Khanh Hoa province and the Monument to Vietnamese International Volunteers who fought to protect the capital Moscow during the Great Patriotic War, the Vietnam-Soviet Union Solidarity and Friendship Statue Complex will contribute to further connecting and promoting the tradition of friendly relations between the two countries.

Assistant to the President, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev shakes hands with delegates from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense delegation. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

General Phan Van Giang respectfully thanked the Russian Federation for sending a delegation of the Secretary of the General Assembly of the United Russia Party, the First Vice Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Parliament and a high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defense led by the Deputy Minister of National Defense to attend the 80th Anniversary of the August Revolution, National Day September 2 and the military delegation to participate in the parade at the celebration.

Appreciating the position of the Russian Federation as a maritime power, with its extensive network of seaports, advanced shipbuilding technology and modern sea management and exploitation model, Minister Phan Van Giang believes that the Russian Federation, with its potential, will continue to make positive contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.

At the talks, the two sides discussed the world and regional situation and issues of mutual concern. General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Vietnam's policy is to become a strong maritime nation, rich from the sea, with sustainable development, prosperity, security and safety; sustainable development of the marine economy is closely linked to ensuring national defense and security, maintaining independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthening foreign affairs and international cooperation on the sea, contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development.

Delegates take souvenir photos. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Regarding the East Sea issue, the Minister affirmed that Vietnam's consistent stance is to resolve disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); comply with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); promote early conclusion of negotiations and signing of a substantive, effective and efficient Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC).

Emphasizing that the two countries' senior leaders always pay attention to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, in which defense cooperation is one of the important pillars, Minister Phan Van Giang was pleased to see that the Vietnam-Russia defense cooperation has been actively and effectively implemented, notably in the fields of: Navy, training, marine scientific research within the framework of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center; cooperation and exchange of experiences in managing and protecting national borders...

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, introduces photos of cooperation activities between the two countries with Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Russian Federation Maritime Council Nikolai Patrushev. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

In the coming time, the Minister suggested that the two sides promote consultation and cooperation in maritime areas of mutual interest, and hoped that the cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Russian Federation Maritime Council would be promoted on the basis of mutual benefit, in accordance with international law, the laws of each country, meeting the needs and capabilities of each side, contributing to peace, stability, development and common prosperity in the region and the world.

For his part, Mr. Nikolai Patrushev sincerely thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for the warm welcome given to the delegation; emphasizing that maritime cooperation contributes to promoting defense cooperation between the two countries, in line with the major orientations of the Vietnam - Russian Federation Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreed upon by the two countries' senior leaders in May 2025.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, held talks with Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Russian Federation Maritime Council Nikolai Patrushev. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Federal Maritime Council of Russia affirmed that maritime cooperation between the two countries still has much potential; expressed the wish that the two sides continue to exchange to promote cooperation in this field, focusing on naval cooperation, education, training, marine scientific research, etc.; at the same time, research marine fields in which the two sides have potential.

At the end of the talks, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on consultation in the maritime field between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Russian Federation Maritime Council.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-tuong-phan-van-giang-tiep-tro-ly-tong-thong-chu-chair-hoi-dong-bien-lien-bang-nga-327765.html