Vietnam wants to strengthen its role as a bridge in the ASEAN-Russia partnership

>> A space for cultural and prospective dialogue

>> AFF 2026: Vietnam progresses from the status of simple participant to that of influential actor

>> A lever to boost bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and Russia

Speaking to the press ahead of the summit, scheduled to take place in Kazan, Russia, on June 17-18, Dang Hoang Giang, who also heads the Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting, said the trip is of particular significance as it This will be Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s first visit to Russia, Vietnam’s traditional friend and global strategic partner, in his new role.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoà ng Giang.

Photo : MAE/CVN

This visit testifies to the constancy of Vietnamese foreign policy, focused on independence, autonomy, self-strengthening, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as on the diversification and multilateralization of external relations, in accordance with the spirit of the 14th National Party Congress, he said.

According to the official, the presence of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung also testifies to Vietnam’s high regard for the ASEAN-Russia strategic partnership and the friendship, strategic trust and effective cooperation that have united Vietnam and Russia for decades.

Dang Hoang Giang stressed that one of the main objectives of this trip is to leverage Vietnam’s role as a “bridge” to promote consensus and advance concrete initiatives to inject new impetus into ASEAN-Russia relations.

This is of particular importance because Vietnam played a key role in seeking consensus within ASEAN regarding the holding of this summit and will serve as the coordinating country for ASEAN-Russia relations for the period 2027-2030, he said.

“Vietnam’s participation goes beyond simple presence at a commemorative summit. It is also an important step towards making a deeper contribution to shaping ASEAN-Russia cooperation in the years to come,” the official said.

He said Vietnam will work with other countries to promote a pragmatic, balanced and results-oriented approach to ASEAN-Russia cooperation, focusing on areas with significant untapped potential, such as trade, science and technology, digital transformation, non-traditional security, education and training, tourism, people-to-people exchanges and, above all, energy.

Vietnam will also champion highly feasible initiatives that correspond to ASEAN’s development needs, Russia’s strengths and the demands of the current international context.

Another priority is strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and the entire Eurasian region, he said. The first ASEAN country to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2015, Vietnam has gained valuable practical experience that could be shared to promote trade, investment, logistics, supply chains and business connectivity.

This cooperation will help ensure that ASEAN-Russia relations bring concrete benefits, not only politically, but also for businesses, local governments and people on both sides, he concluded.

Dang Hoang Giang added that Vietnam and other countries will discuss regional and international issues affecting peace, stability, energy security, supply chains and development. Vietnam hopes to contribute to strengthening mutual understanding, narrowing differences and consolidating trust between ASEAN and Russia, as well as regional partners, through dialogue and respect for international law.

On the occasion of the summit, Prime Minister Lê Minh Hung will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of state of Tatarstan. These meetings will be an important opportunity to reaffirm the importance that the new Vietnamese government attaches to the development of Vietnam-Russia relations and to exchange views on the main directions, key areas of cooperation and measures to be taken to remove obstacles to the effective implementation of high-level agreements, including the important results of the visit to Russia of the General Secretary of the Party, Tô Lâm, in May 2025, and the trip of the Prime Minister of the time, Pham Minh Chinh, in March 2026.

Regarding the importance of this summit, Dang Hoang Giang said that it was being held against a backdrop of profound global and regional upheavals. He cited the assessment of Party General Secretary and President of the Republic Tô Lâm, during the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, according to which the world is confronted with three fundamental crises: those linked to the international order, to models of development and strategic confidence.

Established in 1991 and elevated to a strategic partnership in 2018, ASEAN-Russia relations have continued to develop over the past three decades. Taking place almost five years after the ASEAN-Russia Virtual Summit in October 2021, the upcoming meeting has historical significance that goes beyond a simple commemoration, he said.

This summit is expected to reaffirm the high-level political commitment of both sides to their strategic partnership, demonstrate Russia’s support for ASEAN’s central place in the Asia-Pacific cooperation architecture, and demonstrate ASEAN’s recognition of Russia’s role and influence in the region and the world.

The leaders are expected to review progress in bilateral cooperation, identify obstacles, discuss new priorities and propose breakthrough measures to strengthen substantive and mutually beneficial collaboration in many areas, including energy security, and take advantage of opportunities to strengthen connectivity, foster integration and to create new development spaces for the Asian and European regions.

They will also address regional and international issues of common interest in order to deepen mutual understanding, consolidate strategic trust and jointly respond to common challenges in accordance with international law. Furthermore, the summit is expected to adopt key documents guiding future ASEAN-Russia cooperation, thereby better meeting the development needs of both parties.

The Deputy Foreign Minister expressed confidence that Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s participation would be fruitful and would strengthen Vietnam’s image as a proactive, responsible and reliable bridge within ASEAN, as well as a loyal and sincere partner of Russia.

VNA/CVN