Russia Reviews Bilateral Cooperation with Vietnam, Venezuela, and Cuba at SPIEF

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko held working meetings with co-chairmen of intergovernmental commissions with Vietnam, Venezuela, and Cuba on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

During his meeting with Venezuelan Vice President Ricardo Menendez, Chernyshenko noted that bilateral trade had grown by 9 percent to $217 million by the end of 2025. Imports from Venezuela have tripled. A project to localize insulin production in Venezuela is being implemented, and the Russian-Venezuelan Center for the Study and Prevention of Infectious Diseases is functioning.

Russia has allocated 200 quotas for Venezuelan youth to study at Russian universities. Five Russian language learning centers have opened in Venezuela over three years, Chernyshenko stated. He emphasized that relations between Moscow and Caracas are based on longstanding friendship, solidarity, and mutual respect, and are actively developing at all levels.

Chernyshenko also met with First Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Zia Tuc, congratulating him on his appointment. He reported that bilateral trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam increased by 5.7 percent by the end of 2025, and in the first quarter of this year, turnover grew by 12 percent. Work is underway on a project to establish a Russian school in Hanoi and launch the Pushkin Center.

Additionally, Chernyshenko held a working meeting with Prime Minister of Cuba and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga. He also met with Director General of the International Experimental Thermal Nuclear Reactor (ITER) Peter Barabaski, noting that Russian organizations continue to play a leading role in the project. ITER currently unites 35 countries, including European Union states, India, China, South Korea, the United States, and Japan.