28 Sep 2021 15:03

Vietnam ready to create favorable conditions for operation of Russian oil & gas companies

MOSCOW. Sept 28 (Interfax) - Moscow and Hanoi have agreed on creation of favorable conditions for operation of Russian oil and gas companies in Vietnam, as well as announcing plans to develop military-technical cooperation and semi-knocked down (SKD) vehicle assembly.

"We commended the state of affairs in the oil and gas sector, and it was decided to continue to create favorable conditions for effective operation of Gazprom , Zarubezhneft, and Novatek in Vietnam and Petrovietnam in Russia," Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday following talks with Vietnamese Foreign Affairs Minister Bui Thanh Son.

According to Lavrov, the parties confirmed their intentions to consistently boost military-technical cooperation and interaction in military security.

"We arranged to assist the speedy transfer of the project to set up SKD assembly of Russian motor vehicles in Vietnam to the practical plane," he said.

Lavrov said that among Russian priorities was "implementing large-scale initiatives in industrial production, infrastructure construction, and transport."

Bui Thanh Son, in turn, said that Russian-Vietnamese "cooperation in the energy sphere is a very important pillar of bilateral cooperation given our comprehensive strategic partnership."

He recalled that "essentially all major Russian oil and gas corporations have worked and are working in oil and gas projects in Vietnam. A symbol of our successful cooperation is the joint company Vietsovpetro, and in Russia - the company Rusvietpetro, which is operating very effectively," Bui Thanh Son said.

He expressed the hope that "there will be even more companies like this between our two countries in the near future."

"Our oil and gas cooperation has passed through many trials, and I can say with confidence that nothing can threaten or defy our cooperation in this strategic sphere. We have agreed that we will do all we can to further deepen the cooperation in the oil and gas sphere - not only in developing new fields but also in developing downstream projects," Bui Thanh Son said.

He additionally said Russia and Vietnam planned to expand energy cooperation into new areas as well, including renewable energy projects.