As Vietnam - Russia trade cooperation was not on a par with their potential, both countries should do their best to increase two-way trade to US$10 billion by 2020, said State President Truong Tan Sang.
State President Sang made the proposal at a November 21 reception for Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov, who is in Vietnam for the meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Trade, Science and Technological Cooperation.
He asked the two countries to speed up the projects to build a Vietnam-Russia University of Technology and a Nuclear ScienceandTechnology Center in Vietnam, and develop human resources for the nuclear power industry in the country.
He also expressed his satisfaction with the development of Vietnam-Russia cooperation in security, national defense, education, training, culture, science and technology.
The State President said he believes that the outcomes of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee meeting will help promote bilateral ties for mutual benefit.
For his part, Deputy PM Shuvalov spoke highly of the two countries’ cooperation, especially in oil and gas exploitation. He expressed his belief that, as chairman of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2012, Russia will enhance ties with Vietnam, other ASEAN nations and countries in the Asia-Pacific region.