HANOI, March 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail
Kasyanov will pay an official visit to Vietnam from March 26-28,
2002, a Vietnamese spokeswoman announced here Thursday.
   At a regular press conference here Thursday, Vietnamese Foreign
Ministry Spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said that the visit, which
will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan
Van Khai, will offer an opportunity for leaders of the two
countries to exchange views, evaluate the status of bilateral
relations, work out directions and measures to further promote the
strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, particularly to
implement agreements reached by summit leaders of the two
countries, especially in the fields of trade and economy,
following the visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
   In addition to bilateral issues, the two sides will also
exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual
concern, Thanh said.
   She also noted that traditional friendly relations and multi-
faceted cooperation in the spirit of strategic partnership between
Vietnam and Russia have seen positive developments.
   The two-way trade volume in 2001 increased by 50 percent
compared to the 571 million U.S. dollars in 2000.
   The spokeswoman expressed her hope that the bilateral friendly
and cooperative relations, especially in trade and economic fields,
will further develop to match the potentials and the fine ongoing
political relationship between the two countries.
   As for the issue of Vietnam's Cam Ranh port, Thanh noted that
the tentative program of the upcoming visit to Vietnam by Russian
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will not include any activity in
Cam Ranh port.
   However, the spokeswoman reaffirmed that Vietnam and Russia are
negotiating to finalize legal procedures on terminating the treaty
signed in 1979 between Vietnam and Russia on Cam Ranh port in
Vietnam's central coastal province of Khanh Hoa before its expiry
date.
   Vietnam and the former Soviet Unions signed an agreement on
leasing Cam Ranh seaport of Vietnam for 25 years in 1979.  Enditem