VietNamNet Bridge – President Nguyen Minh Triet arrived in Moscow on October 26, beginning an official four-day visit to Russia at the invitation of President Dmitry Medvedev.

After the welcoming ceremony, Mr Triet laid a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Monument in Moscow.

Later, Mr Triet met with representatives of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association as well as Russian war veterans and military experts who used to work in Vietnam.

Mr Triet thanked the former Soviet people, now Russians, for their valuable support and assistance to the Vietnamese people during the past wars of resistance and the current cause of national construction and development.

Mr Triet praised Russia’s increasing role and position in the international arena and affirmed that Vietnam wants to expand the time-honoured relationship with Russia.

V. Buyanov, President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, told Mr Triet that his association will try its best to help Russian people fully understand the time-honoured friendship and relationship between the two countries to make it ever closer in the future.

He presented Mr Triet the honorary medal of the association and books featuring the Russia-Vietnam friendship. The books, which were written by Russian researchers working in the field of Vietnamese Studies, were published to mark the 50^th anniversary of the association.

The honorary president of the Russia-Vietnam Federation and the president of the war veterans association of Russia’s air defence force recalled their good feelings towards Vietnam and believed that the relations of friendship and long-term cooperation between the two countries will further develop in the future.

For his part, President Triet presented Vietnam’s Friendship Order to six officials of the association in recognition of their contributions to promoting friendship with Vietnam.

In the evening, Mr Triet met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Russia. He said he is happy to hear that the Vietnamese community has established good relations with the local community, helping to promote the Vietnamese image in Russia.

He affirmed that the Party and State create the best possible conditions for overseas Vietnamese to integrate well into their resident countries, including Russia, while preserving and developing the traditional cultural identity.

On October 27, Mr Triet is scheduled to hold talks with President D. Medvedev and meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

(Source: VOV)