Vietnamese journalists and Communist leaders arriving in St Petersburg

A delegation of Vietnamese journalists and the Vietnamese Communist party central committee (VCP CC) top officials is arriving in St Petersburg on Saturday. The delegation is headed by member of the VCP CC, first deputy chairman of the Cultural-ideological commission of the VCP CC, chairman of the Journalists Union of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) Hong Vinh. The delegation includes chiefs of VCP CC departments and leaders of Vietnam's leading mass media.

The program of stay of the delegation includes the meeting with the leaderships of the External Relations Committee of the St Petersburg administration and the city's Journalists Union, the visit to the International press center devoted to the 300th anniversary of the city, to be celebrated in 2003.

The Vietnamese guests will visit OAO "Baltika Brewery" and OAO "Almaz Shipyard", where the construction of two Svetlyak-type launches is being completed under the SRV order.

The delegation came to Russia on RIA Vesti's (Novosti's) invitation.

Vietnam is a major trade partner of Russia in Southeast Asia. The main volume of Russian import falls on raw materials (caoutchouc, tropic oils, medicinal original substances), foodstuffs (tea, coffee, rice, spicery), consumer goods. Russia exports mostly cars, industrial equipment and arms.

Under the technical assistance of the USSR and Russia, about 300 enterprises in different branches of industry, including mining, chemical, construction and electric power, were built in the SRV.

Russia holds eighth place in the list of Vietnamese investor countries, with an overall volume of investments reaching 1.5 billion USD. Beside objects connected with the oil and gas sphere, over 30 projects with Russian investments are registered in the SRV.

The Vietnamese Armed Forces are 75% equipped with military equipment that was at different times supplied from the USSR and then from Russia.