Within a framework of Vietnamese President’s official visit to Russia and under the witnesses of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and his Russian Counterpart Vladimir Putin, Vietnam and Russia Customs signed “Memorandum of Understanding on the exchange of bilateral export and import commodity statistics”, and “Joint Action Plan against customs’ violations between the Vietnam General Department of Customs and the Federal Customs Service of Russia for the 2012-2013 period” on 27th July, 2012 in Sochi City, Russia.
The two above-mentioned agreements are initial ones signed by the two countries to enforce Cooperation Agreement and mutually support in the area of Customs between the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam and its Russian partner in 2010. In the coming time, the two parties will continue to negotiate to sign other Customs Cooperation Agreements.
The Memorandum of Understanding aims to provide essential information about bilateral export and import goods between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation, specifically including the exchange of export and import statistical methodology and significant changes in methodology; as well as bilateral export and import statistics excluding the data on confidential information, national and trade security.
The Joint Action Plan is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of anti-smuggling and other customs’ violations by setting up cooperative channels between Supervision Units under Vietnam General Department of Customs and the Federal Customs Service of Russia.
Over the past years, the cooperative relations between Vietnam and Russia Customs have been increasingly strengthened and upgraded through mutual cooperation and support activities. Russia Customs have attached the importance of Vietnam ones such as receiving professional survey teams for the sake of modernization of the Customs (through amending and supplementing law on customs, etc.), staff for training and professional teams, etc. In addition to supporting bilateral cooperation, the two parties’ customs have also supported multi-bilateral cooperation forums to full possibilities.
Assessing customs cooperation, at the press conference after closing the forum in Sochi Russian’s President Vladimir Putin says that the two-side customs cooperation is of great importance to facilitate bilateral trade, which is aimed at bringing two-way trade volume up to $5 billion by 2015.