Hanoi, Nov. 13 -- Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russian Valentina Matviyenko delivered a speech at a plenary session of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) in Hanoi on November 13 as part of her official visit to Vietnam. Opening her address, Matviyenko highlighted the historical bonds between the two countries, whose people are united by shared traditions and a time-tested sense of comradeship.

She affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh laid the foundations for this longstanding friendship, noting a monument to the late leader was inaugurated in 2023 in Saint Petersburg, her hometown. Reviewing bilateral relations, Matviyenko noted that 25 years ago, in 2001, President Vladimir Putin made his first offic...