NARYAN-MAR - Vietnam is showing interest towards the possibility of joining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang said.
“We hope that with a high political will of the leaders of our
countries, as well as our Belarusian and Kazakh comrades and partners,
we will be able to begin this process very soon and bring it to
completion in the form of an agreement on Vietnam’s accession to the
Customs Union,” the Vietnamese president told a press conference in
Naryan-Mar on July 29.
“[I am confident] that if such an agreement is agreed upon and
signed, it will give a new impetus for intensifying our relationship and
increasing trade,” he said.
“Indeed, there is a mutual desire between me and Russian President
Vladimir Putin to increase the volume of trade and economic relations.
We discussed the issue of speeding up quality talks over the signing of a
free trade agreement. We have agreed to announce the start of talks
over a free trade agreement as early as September 2012, during the APEC
(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in Vladivostok,” the
president said.
The Russian and Vietnamese presidents met in Sochi on July 27. The
meeting focused on the broadening of the bilateral trade and economic
cooperation.
