Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee welcomes delegation from the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation

This visit and working session of the delegation in Nghe An aim to connect and promote cooperation between the two sides following the direction of the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan, thereby contributing to fostering the development between the Russian Federation and Vietnam.

Earlier, on the afternoon of March 21, at the Government Office, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received R.N. Minnikhanov, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province, Mr. Le Hong Vinh, expressed his pleasure in welcoming Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, and members of the delegation to visit and work in Nghe An. He also provided information on the province's socio-economic situation and tourism potential.

After introducing the socio-economic situation of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mr. Sergey Ivanov highly appreciated the cooperation potential between the two sides and expressed a desire to connect to promote development, especially in tourism.

"We are very ready to start cooperating with Nghe An on projects to develop tourism," Mr. Sergey Ivanov affirmed. On this basis, he proposed studying the possibility of opening charter flights directly connecting Vinh Airport with Kazan Airport.

Mr. Andrey Kovtun, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Vietnam and Chief Representative of Novatek Group in Vietnam, also stated that both the Republic of Tatarstan and Nghe An Province have great potential for cooperation and development.

In particular, he mentioned that he had researched and learned that in 2025, Vinh Airport will be renovated and upgraded to accommodate large aircraft, providing an excellent opportunity to open direct charter flights between Vinh and Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. He noted that Nghe An's climate and beaches are suitable for Russian tourists’ vacation needs, with the main issue being convenient transportation.

Additionally, as the Chief Representative of Novatek Group in Vietnam, one of the largest independent natural gas producers in Russia, Mr. Andrey Kovtun stated that the group's leadership is highly interested in and has thoroughly researched the LNG power plant project to be implemented in Quynh Lap commune, Hoang Mai town, Nghe An province. They are making efforts to participate in this critical power source project.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province Le Hong Vinh agreed with the proposals to connect and promote cooperation between the Republic of Tatarstan and Nghe An, starting with tourism to bring tourists from both sides for visits and vacations.

This is highly favorable, given that Nghe An has a large number of former students and workers who studied and worked in the Soviet Union. Conversely, Russian tourists will have additional options for vacationing in Vietnam besides the usual destinations like Nha Trang and Phu Quoc.

On this basis, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province invited the delegation from the Republic of Tatarstan and travel businesses to visit, conduct surveys, and promote cooperation, moving towards signing agreements for comprehensive cooperation expansion between the two sides.

Nghe An also hopes that businesses in the Republic of Tatarstan’s strong sectors will explore investment opportunities in Nghe An, thereby exporting goods to third countries.

Chairman Le Hong Vinh affirmed that Nghe An has a large workforce with high skills and many investment incentives. The greatest advantage is the enthusiasm and responsibility of the provincial government in expediting procedures for investors as quickly as possible.

Regarding the Quynh Lap LNG power plant project, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province stated that the province is currently accelerating the completion of procedures to approve the investment policy and conduct a broad tendering process.

Recognizing Novatek Group's capabilities, especially its proactive supply of LNG, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province invited the group to participate in the bidding process for this critical project.

Mr. Le Hong Vinh expressed hope that, through this visit and working session, Mr. Sergey Ivanov and Mr. Andrey Kovtun would introduce and promote the image of Nghe An in the Republic of Tatarstan in particular and the Russian Federation in general. He also hoped they would continue to serve as important bridges to strengthen relations between the two sides, as well as with other entities and partners in the Russian Federation.

During the working session, Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An Province Le Hong Vinh and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, agreed to exchange delegations between the two sides, starting with the tourism sector, to discuss and move toward specific cooperation agreements.