Volodin arrived in Hanoi on Sunday and, according to the website of the National Assembly (Parliament), he visited President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs, and toured the Vietnamese Legislative Chamber of Traditions. The visitor also met with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, who ratified that Russia is always a top priority in Vietnam’s foreign policy.

Dinh Hue stressed the importance of Volodin’s visit, which he said would help to strengthen inter-parliamentary friendship and cooperation in particular and between the two countries in general, and urged to promote cooperation projects in science and technology.

He added that Vietnam wishes to promote cooperation in vocational education and resume and conclude negotiations on the intergovernmental agreement that would enable the recruitment of Vietnamese citizens to work in the Russian Federation. Dinh Hue also wants to expand cooperation in tourism, eliminate difficulties in the resumption of direct flights between Hanoi and Moscow, and promote people-to-people exchanges and inter-local cooperation.

Volodin, in turn, agreed that bilateral relations are going well, describing Vietnam and Russia as strategic friends.

However, he noted that the two nations should seek new forms of cooperation to develop ties.

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