Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (R) receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Hanoi Saturday

The Vietnamese and Russian foreign ministers agreed that the Vietnamese community in Russia was playing a positive role in strengthening ties between the two countries, both sides said at a meeting Saturday.

Lavrov said Vietnam played an important role in several international forums, including ASEAN, ASEM and APEC, and he added that he wanted the two sides to continue to work together in the name of peace, cooperation and development.

Both sides said they appreciated the others’ cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in the exploitation of oil along Vietnam’s continental shelf.

Khiem suggested Moscow continue creating favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study work and do business in Russia, especially during the global economic crisis.

He also said the Vietnamese government wanted Russian investors to deepen their participation in the country’s major energy, infrastructure and high-tech projects. He said

Vietnam would create favorable conditions for Russian businesses to do business here.

The two sides also agreed to hold a series of diverse celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic relations next year.

After their talks, the two ministers witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation between the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission and the Russia State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM).

Later on the same day, Lavrov met with President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi.

Reported by Huong Giang