Việt Nam, Russia sign various co-operation agreements   SOCHI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV)’s Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng and Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed the signing of many cooperation agreements on Thursday, within the framework of the former’s ongoing visit to Russia. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV)’s Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng and Russian President Vladimir Putin. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng   The deals included an agreement between the Vietnamese and Russian governments on international information security, and a protocol amending and supplementing the bilateral agreement on the Việt Nam-Russia Tropical Centre. The Ministry of Health of Việt Nam and the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrenadzor) signed a deal on the prevention of epidemics. The Ministry of Education and Training and Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation of Russia inked a deal on human resources training in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. A memorandum of understanding on co-operation between the Ministry of Science and Technology and Russia’s Rosatom was reached in orienting public opinion on the nuclear science and technology centre. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Russia’s Ministry of Culture for the 2019-21 period, along with a deal fostering ties between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture, an agreement between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) and Russia’s Gazprom Group on dividing products exploited from Lot 09-2/09 in Việt Nam’s continental shelf. A memorandum of understanding on cooperation was signed by the Gazprom, the PVN and the People’s Committee of Quảng Trị Province. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and Russia’s Ministry of Energy inked a deal on affiliation in providing liquefied natural gas and developing thermal electricity in Việt Nam. The Saigon-Hanoi Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SHB) and the International Investment Bank (IIB) signed a deal on IIB’s provision of US$20 million in loans to SHB for developing infrastructure work in Việt Nam as well as import-export activities of goods from IIB member countries. The two sides will also share information and experience in enhancing operational efficiency and management capacity. A framework sponsor contract between the International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC) and the SHB was signed at an initial value of 20 million EUR. Several other deals were also inked during the CPV leaders’ visit, including a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Rosscongress Foundation of Russia, and another between Sovico Vietnam and Zarubezneft of Russia.  VNS