RUSSIAN-VIETNAMESE GOODS TURNOVER REACHED $420 MILLION IN 2000








MOSCOW, March 1, 2001, /from RIA Novosti correspondent Nadezhda Anisimova/--In 2000, goods turnover between Russia and Vietnam reached $240 million, reported the press service of the Russian ministry of economic development and trade to RIA Novosti.


	Russia's export turnover with Vietnam amounted to $270 last year, while import was at $150 million. As usually, goods exported to Vietnam consisted, for the most part, of power-generating and oil-producing equipment, aircraft, lorries, spare parts and other produce of the mechanical engineering industry. Apart from that, Russian export included ferrous metals, fertilizers and oil products.


	According to official statistics, Russian investments in Vietnamese economy amount to $1.5 billion excluding registered capital of the Russian-Vietnamese joint oil production venture Vietsovpetro, to which Russia contributed $1.5 billion.


	According to the press service's information, Russia is rated as Vietnam's 8th largest investor and has around 600 companies with the participation of Vietnamese capital registered on its territory, as well as more than 100 offices of Vietnamese companies not licensed carry on commercial activities.


	In the meantime, Russian experts in foreign trade expect President Putin's visit to Vietnam will help further Russian-Vietnamese trade and economic links and expand cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Vietnam attracts Russian companies as one of Asia's biggest markets of power-generating and oil-producing equipment and aircraft industry produce.