Globalisation and a number of impacts on Vietnam-Russia relations

 In the time to come, creating international laws. Russia and Vietnam are 
favourable opportunities for development in fully aware of their special responsibilities 
the country is still an important task for to maintain security in the world at the 
Russia, because it determines that economic global and regional levels, with the aim of 
backwardness is continuing to be a growing working together with all relevant countries 
threat to its sovereignty, narrowing to resolve common challenges. 
opportunities in the foreign policy. The external strategies of both the 
 From now until 2025, Russia will still countries have always been adjusted in the 
have enough potential to continue direction of both prioritisation and 
implementing its foreign policy in the diversification, both flexibility and 
direction of independence, proactiveness, pragmatism, in accordance with the changes 
pragmatism and flexibility to ensure of the domestic and international situation, 
maximum national interests on the basis of and the relationship of powers as well as the 
taking advantage of its advantages and position of each of the two countries in the 
potentialities of energy, fuel, weapons, etc., region and the world. Both countries 
to gather forces, to seek allies for the purpose consider economic development, building 
of improving its role and influence as a defense capacities, ensuring national 
power in the region and the world. sovereignty and territorial integrity to be 
 Russia will give maximum priority to top priorities in their foreign policies, 
strengthening relations with those countries aiming to create a favourable environment 
and regional organisations that it has many for domestic sustainable development and 
interests with such as, first of all, the CIS, diversification of their own economies, 
the US, China, EU and ASEAN to serve its through the promotion of promising and 
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 Nguyen Quang Thuan 
innovative projects in various sectors, maritime and air routes through the Biển 
strengthening cooperation with leading Đông (East Sea, i.e. South China Sea), 
countries in the world. having political stability and potential for 
 Some impacts of the new globalisation economic development, Vietnam is 
trend of Vietnam - Russia relations: considered one of Russia's priorities in the 
 With a history of more than 70 years of eastward policy that the latter is pursuing. 
traditional relations inherited from the The strengthening of cooperation between 
Vietnam-Soviet relations and 25 years since the two countries is considered one of the 
the establishment of official relations important prerequisites to help Russia 
between Vietnam and the Russian strengthen its presence and establish its 
Federation, it can be said that this is a influence in Southeast Asia in particular 
valuable traditional friendship to be and in Asia in general, while helping it 
respected. Since 2001 until now, the strike the balance of power in the region. 
relationship has continuously developed, The position of Vietnam in Russia’s the 
and has so far become a comprehensive foreign policy has been affirmed many 
strategic partnership, contributing strongly times in Russian documents and in the 
to the development of either country. For statements of leaders of the two countries in 
the past ten years, the Vietnam-Russia meetings and exchange of visits. President 
relations also has been characterised with V.Putin affirmed that "Developing multi-
common features of the trend of faceted relations with Vietnam is one of the 
globalisation, with cooperation and priorities in the foreign policy of the 
competition; promoted diplomatic political Russian Federation in Asia" [5]. This is a 
bonds, trade and economic relations, and positive point for the Russian Federation 
ties in national security and defence, and Vietnam "to have the cordial 
science and technology, education and cooperation between the two partners that 
culture; both strengthening bilateral never betray each other" [5]. 
relations and taking advantage of In the diplomatic and political relations, 
multilateral mechanisms, and also the last two years have seen a series of 
undergoing both advantageous and regular visits by leaders of the two 
disadvantageous effects of the international countries in a bilateral framework as well as 
and regional contexts. In this paper, it is not within the regular multilateral cooperation 
possible to point out all direct and indirect of APEC, ASEM and ASEAN+. President 
impacts in all areas by globalisation on each V.Putin and Prime Minister D.Medvedev 
of the two countries as well as the relations came to Vietnam, while General Secretary 
between them. However, it is possible to of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) 
point out some significant impacts of cum State President Nguyen Phu Trong and 
globalisation on bilateral relations since the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also 
Ukraine crisis to date. visited the Russian Federation. 
 Located in an important geostrategic Regarding the trade and economic ties, 
position, being the intersection of Southeast right after the strengthening of the regional 
Asian countries, controlling the key economic integration with the establishment 
 9 
Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 1 (195) - 2020 
of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Especially, in the field of tourism and 
Vietnam was the first country to sign an FTA culture, rapid increases have been recorded 
with the organisation in June 2015. The FTA in accordance with the global trend for the 
is expected to be the driving force to achieve past few years. Only in 2017, more than 
the goal of increasing the total bilateral trade 500,000 Russian visitors came to Vietnam, 
turnover to USD 10 billion in the next few which nearly doubled the figure of five 
years, based on areas of traditional years earlier. With the current growth rate 
cooperation such as oil and gas, fuel and raw of 30% per year, it is expected that by 2020, 
materials, and active development in other 1,000,000 Russian tourists will choose 
areas such as agriculture, tourism and Vietnam as their destination [6]. 
services. There is the need for breakthrough On multilateral cooperation: 
solutions to promote those areas where 
 Vietnam and the Russian Federation will 
Russia has comparative advantages such as 
 jointly build a system of multi-polar, equal 
railways, nuclear power, space technology, 
 and democratic international relations, 
and those where Vietnam has advantages 
such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries and based on the principle of broad cooperation 
human resources. between countries and organisations, 
 uniform rules for all nations, the supremacy 
 In reality, the FTA has had a positive 
 of international law and the solid role of the 
impact reflected by the Vietnam - Russia 
 United Nations as a centre for regulating 
bilateral trade turnover which has increased 
 and coordinating world politics. 
more quickly such as a 31% growth rate of 
2017 compared to 2016, and a 35.7% Vietnam and Russia promote bilateral and 
growth rate in the first ten months of 2018. multilateral cooperation to combat the 
 High-tech is also a field prioritised by increasing risks of using information and 
the two countries. Russia is a country with communication technology for criminal and 
strong capabilities in the field of nuclear terrorist purposes, including the purpose of 
development, defence industry, aviation and sabotaging the security of nations. 
space. The two countries have reached Vietnam and Russia affirm to develop 
cooperation agreements in the use of the cooperation in the fight against terrorism, 
GLONASS system, application of information transnational organised crime, production and 
technology in urban management, building circulation of illegal drugs, corruption and 
e-government, etc. In the upcoming future, other challenges and risks of loss of security. 
if Vietnam re-starts its nuclear power Russia and Vietnam always closely 
programme, the Russian Federation will be cooperate and coordinate in multilateral 
its top priority for cooperation. fora of negotiation, where international 
 The promotion of cooperation in the security issues are discussed, including 
fields of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, arms control, disarmament and non-
industry to serve agriculture, irrigation, proliferation of weapons of mass 
prevention and control of natural disasters destruction. The two sides affirm the 
towards sustainable development, is also importance and necessity of the UN 
emphasised on by the two countries. military disarmament mechanism, including 
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 Nguyen Quang Thuan 
Commission 1 of the United Nations General international law via promoting dialogue 
Assembly, Conference on Disarmament and and cooperation within the framework of 
the United Nations Commission on ASEAN-led fora such as ASEAN-Russia, 
Disarmament, to develop multilateral ASEAN Regional Forum on Security 
agreements to maintain international (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN 
security and to ensure strategic stability. Defense Ministers Meeting with Dialogue 
 The two sides express their support for Partners (ADMM +) ... 
the international community's efforts to It can be seen that there have been many 
strengthen the legal base to fight terrorism positive impacts on the relations between 
and the use of weapons of mass destruction the two countries in recent years. However, 
for terrorist purposes. there are still many obstacles from the 
 The leaders of the two countries have globalisation trend or the regional and 
always emphasised that border and international context, which results in the 
territorial disputes and other disputes in the relationship between Vietnam and Russia 
Asia-Pacific region should be addressed by being not developed in accordance with the 
stakeholders by peaceful means, with the potentialities and needs of both sides. 
restraint from the use of force or threat to First of all, in terms of economy, the 
use force, on the basis of international law, growth rate is quite high, but so far, 
including the 1982 United Nations Vietnam-Russia trade turnover is only USD 
Convention on the Law of the Sea, to 4 billion, while the former’s total import-
ensure peace, stability and security in the export turnover is nearly USD 480 billion. 
region. Vietnam and Russia support the full The figure of USD 4 billion is also quite far 
and effective implementation of the from the USD 10 billion goal set by the two 
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the sides ten years ago. Accounting for a high 
Biển Đông (East Sea, i.e. South China Sea) proportion still is the simply processed 
of 2002 and welcome the efforts of the products and fuel and raw materials, which 
parties to soon adopt the Code of Conduct is different from the general trend of 
of Parties in the South China Sea. increasing the proportion of services and 
 Both countries consider maintaining goods with high technology contents. 
peace and stability, strengthening mutual With regard to investment activities, there 
trust to be the core factors to ensure stable is still a "paradox" of the poorer Vietnam 
development of the Asia-Pacific region as investing more in Russia than vice versa. 
one of the centre of the new multipolar Especially, there is a large imbalance between 
world order. the cooperation in security and defence and 
 As General Secretary of the CPV that of trade and economic fields. 
Nguyen Phu Trong and President V.Putin Currently, Vietnam is implementing a 
have affirmed, it is necessary to continue policy of multilateralising its military 
the joint efforts to build in the region an cooperation, diversifying the arms 
equal and undivided security structure of suppliers. However, in the period 2012-
an open, inclusive and transparent 2016, Russian weapons still accounted for 
character, based on compliance with 88% of the volume of Vietnam’s imported 
 11 
Vietnam Social Sciences, No. 1 (195) - 2020 
weapons. Moscow provides Vietnam with Russian Federation is facing huge 
most of the types of important weapons. It opportunities and challenges. The 
is clear that Russia plays the No. 1 adjustments of the policies of each of the 
important role in ensuring the latter's countries to take advantage of opportunities 
defence security, yet it is not included in and overcome challenges, and to strengthen 
Hanoi’s top ten trading partners. In the their comprehensive strategic partnership to 
trend of powers adjusting their strategies be more and more profound and practical, 
towards increasing unilateralism and are essential. 
putting national interests above all, making 
the trend of competition increasingly fierce 
in terms of both economic strength and Note 
defence, the imbalance between the two 
important areas needs to be overcome. 1 This paper was translated by Luong Quang Luyen. 
 In terms of economic benefits, the Edited by Etienne Mahler. 
Vietnam - Russia trade turnover, being only 
USD 4 billion, is not comparable to Russia - 
China trade of nearly USD 100 billion. References 
And, if compared with Vietnam's total 
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 [1] Lauder, H., Brown, P., Dillabough, J. A., and 
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