Promotion of Russian-Vietnamese Trade and Economic Cooperation: Return Visit to Hanoi

The development of Russian-Vietnamese trade, economic, and municipal cooperation involves the consistent implementation of reached agreements and the enhancement of practical contacts: within the framework of the VI IMBRICS Forum held in November 2024, Russian and Vietnamese delegations held a series of working meetings, during which the parties confirmed their readiness to deepen interaction between Russian organizations and Vietnamese business associations. A key event was the signing of a partnership development agreement with the Vietnam Association for Promotion of Consumer Goods (VACOD).

In May of this year, the dialogue received further momentum for continuation during the official visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam to Russia: as part of the negotiations between the delegation representatives and the Organizing Committee of the IMBRICS Forum, the parties exchanged assessments of the prospects for bilateral projects and confirmed their intention to intensify investment and trade cooperation.

Under these circumstances, the working visit to Hanoi, scheduled for September 28 – October 5, 2025, takes on a practical nature and aims to translate the previously stated intentions into specific project solutions. The event program will include a plenary session on the topic "Experience Exchange and Regional Cooperation," working sessions, and other business-oriented events. Up to 100 people from our city will take part in it. The list of delegates was approved by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov.

It is important to emphasize that the business mission is a thoroughly considered trip, for which the Apparatus of the Organizing Committee has been preparing for 9 months; agreements on its holding were reached last year, and in May 2025 they were further developed during negotiations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The trip program has been carefully designed and includes a wide range of meetings prepared jointly with Vietnamese partners, taking into account the interests of the Russian delegation participants.

"As part of the upcoming negotiations, it is planned to focus efforts on approving a roadmap outlining steps to strengthen trade turnover, launch joint projects in manufacturing, infrastructure sectors, develop logistics corridors, introduce digital solutions in municipal and regional management, and train personnel through joint educational programs and discussions with experts from many sectors of the urban economy. Separate attention will be paid to measures supporting small and medium-sized businesses and creating conditions for expanding direct business contacts between Russian and Vietnamese companies. Yesterday, a delegation including representatives of business, educational institutions, relevant authorities, cultural and other spheres departed from St. Petersburg to Hanoi. I am confident that the working trip to Vietnam will give additional impetus to the development of our event, which will only strengthen year by year and have a positive impact on the business climate both in Russia and Vietnam, as well as in other BRICS countries. I am convinced that for 2026, we will be able to agree on organizing, within the framework of the VIII IMBRICS Forum, a large-scale exhibition with the participation of representatives of leading Vietnamese cities to enable entrepreneurs to showcase their products and attract investments," shared Mikhail Cherepanov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the VII IMBRICS Forum.

As a continuation of the cooperation, the parties confirmed their intention to organize the next visit of a delegation from the Hanoi Business Association to Russia within the framework of the VII IMBRICS Forum, which will be held on November 20–21, 2025, in St. Petersburg. The Forum platform, which will bring together participants from more than 70 countries, will serve as a key platform for specifying project initiatives, developing financial and legal mechanisms for cooperation, and signing memoranda of understanding.