​The Soviet Union is one of the first countries in the world that recognized and established formal diplomatic relations with Vietnam (January 30, 1950), laying the foundation for the lasting friendship and good cooperation between the two countries in the years later.

Inheriting the traditional relationship between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union, the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation has always grown in a warm, reliable and durable way.

In the two wars of Vietnamese people against the French colonialists and the US imperialists, the Soviet people always stood by the Vietnamese, supporting both materially and spiritually, making contributions to the motivation of the “illustrious historic victory of Dien Bien shaking the Earth" in 1954, making the great victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign on April 30, 1975 liberating the South, reunifying the country kicking off the whole country’s construction of socialism.

In the cause of building socialism in our country, the Soviet people not only gave us a financial and material assistance but also experts to help us in economic, cultutal and social fields. Today, in the context of the world with a great number of changes, the traditional friendship between the two countries is still maintained and developed to a new level with the establishment of the partnership strategy in 2001 and strategic, comprehensive partners at present. All of those have created a solid foundation for an enduring friendship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

People-to-people Exchange - Fostering Bilateral Friendship

In Dong Nai, in recent years, besides focusing on stepping up diplomatic activities aimed at expanding and strengthening ties of cooperation and friendship with more than 40 countries and regions, the province has expanded people-to-people exchange activities with the countries in which Russia is still a potential partner. In April 2016, the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province issued a decision to establish the province’s Vietnam-Russian Federation Friendship Association following the aspirations of the people of Dong Nai who have been studying and working in and having a close relationship with Russia. The establishment of the Association has also created a new development in the relations of friendship between the people of the province and the people of the Russian Federation, showing the importance and the practical significance in consolidating and developing good relationships between people of the two countries as well as in collaboration in economy, culture, science and technoloy between Dong Nai people and the Russian.

After more than 03 years in operation, the Association has actively organized various people-to-people exchange activities, establishing a relationship with the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City and enterprises in Dong Nai related to Russian partners. Every year, the Association also cooperates with the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations, the province and the concerned agencies in organizing activities to commemorate historic events, the traditional holidays of the two countries such as the National Day of Russia, the anniversary of Russia's October Revolution, the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, etc. and especially in 2019, the Association has also worked with the press agencies, the agencies and units in order to propagate, organize activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of signing the Treaty on the basic principles of friendly relations (1994-2019) and 70 years of the establishment of Vietnam - Russian Federation diplomatic ties (1950-2020). On 18 June, 2019 at Tri An Hydropower Plant in Vinh Cuu District, Dong Nai Province – the works marking the friendly relations between Vietnam and the Soviet Union, the program called "Tri An Hydropower - Imprints of the Vietnam-Russia friendship" took place, which was attended by the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Association of the Vietnam - Russian Federation, provincial leaders and hundreds of representatives of local delegations including many delegates who had been working, studying in the former Soviet Union and Russia today. Generally speaking, the activities have received the participation and response of numerous classes of people in the province, contributing to raising the awareness of the people of Dong Nai on the meaning of the close friendship of the Vietnamese in general and Dong Nai people in particular and the people of the Russian Federation. 

Further Plans for the Future

With good beginnings based on the status and potential of the province with   partners of the Russian Federation, activities of the Association will promisingly take firm and more prominent steps. In the future, the Association will focus on the development of its members, expanding and connecting with organizations and units having relationship with Russian partners, especially the youth to participate in activities of the Association and implement programs to attract and admit new members, strengthening cohesion in the participating members and the development of its in-depth and practical activities. On the other hand, the Association will promote the work of establishing and expanding relations with partners from Russia through the General Consulate of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City and the provincial enterprises having cooperation with Russian partners to implement cultural exchange activities,

Those are practical activities to celebrate the Year of Vietnam-Russia Friendship (2019 - 2020) and the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Vietnam - Soviet /the Traditional Day of the Vietnam-Russian Federation Friendship Association (May 23, 1950-2020), Dong Nai Province’s Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association has actively been implementing activities to celebrate together with people throughout the country in preserving, developing, strengthening the friendship and the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.