Vietnam is ready to strengthen themulti-faceted relationship with Latvia, especially in economics andtrade, and will create favourable conditions for Latvian businesses topenetrate into the Vietnamese market.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet, who is in Moscow to attend the65 th anniversary of victory of fascism, made the statement during histalks with Latvian President Vandis Zatlers on May 9.

President Triet expressed his wish that Latvia will alsofacilitate operations of Vietnamese enterprises.

He affirmed that the victory over fascism on May 9, 1945 paved theway for oppressed nations, including Vietnam, to rise up againsttheir oppressors and successfully carry out national liberationrevolutions, bringing independence, freedom and development to theircountries.

He also thanked the people of the Soviet Union and Latvia for theirvaluable and effective assistance to Vietnam during its strugglefor national independence.

On the same day, President Triet visited the headquarters of Russianstate-controlled oil group Zarubezhneft and met with its GeneralDirector Nikolai Brunik.

At the meeting, the Vietnamese state leader emphasised the results ofcooperation between the two sides through the Vietnam-Russia Oil andGas Joint Venture (Vietsovpetro). He said the cooperation in the oil andgas sector has helped strengthen and expand the traditional friendshipand mutually-beneficiary strategic partnership between the twocountries.

For his part, General Director Nikolai Brunik briefed the VietnamesePresident about the operations of Zarubezhneft and its affiliates,namely Vietsovpetro and RusVietPetro as well as informed about thegroup’s business orientations in the coming time, including cooperationin oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Russia and Vietnam’s territories.

He pledged that the Russian side will strengthen cooperation to helpensure energy security for Vietnam./.