¡¡¡¡HANOI, March 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has affirmed Vietnam's consistent policy to develop its strategic partnership with Russia on a long-term basis and with mutual trust.

¡¡¡¡Khai made the reaffirmation during his talks with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov here on Wednesday.

¡¡¡¡He stressed that the multi-faceted cooperation in the spirit ofstrategic partnership with Russia is an important factor actively contributing to the cause of industrialization and modernization in Vietnam.

¡¡¡¡He held that the current visit to Vietnam by Kasyanov marked a new step in the development of the two countries' relations, conforming with the aspirations and interests of the two peoples.

¡¡¡¡During the talks, the two prime ministers assessed the situation and prospects of the bilateral relations and worked out measures to push up and bring into full play the effectiveness of such relations in the new stage of development.

¡¡¡¡They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

¡¡¡¡Kasyanov affirmed that Russia will continue to do its utmost tounceasingly bolster its traditional friendship and all-round, mutually-beneficial cooperation with Vietnam on a firm and long-term basis.

¡¡¡¡Khai and Kasyanov reached consensus on the orientations and ways to carry out a political dialogue mechanism on a regular basis at a high level, and broaden the two countries' cooperation in the fields of oil and gas industry, electric energy, science and technology, and training and education, as well as in the fields of hydro-meteorology and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

¡¡¡¡They also agreed to further boost their close coordination in the international arena.

¡¡¡¡Right after the talks of the Prime Ministers, the representatives of the two sides signed totally six cooperative agreements on fields of health, frontier defence, public security,hydro-meteorology and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, as well as the agreement under which Russia provides Vietnam with a loan of 100 million dollars for building hydropowerstations in Vietnam.

¡¡¡¡General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nong Duc Manh and Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong met with Kasyanov respectively here on Wednesday.

¡¡¡¡Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov arrived here on Tuesdayfor a three-day official visit to Vietnam as guest of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. Enditem

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