President of Russia Vladimir Putin and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam took part, via videoconference, in the opening of a laboratory for the study and prevention of infectious diseases, based at the Joint Russia-Vietnam Tropical Research and Technological Centre in Hanoi.
Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova and Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam Nguyen Truong Thang briefed the two leaders on the laboratory’s objectives.
The Joint Tropical Centre, a branch of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has been operating since 1988.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade To Lam,
Friends,
I am happy to welcome you all. I would like to say that Comrade To Lam and I have already begun our work, held talks, and had a very productive discussion in a restricted format, during which we addressed key bilateral and international issues. We will now move on to the official opening ceremony for the new laboratory that will specialise in studying and preventing infectious diseases, based at the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Centre in Hanoi.
I consider it highly symbolic that this important event is taking place during the state visit of the President of Vietnam. The launch of this joint hi-tech project is another vivid example of mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Vietnam and clear evidence of good progress in the strategic partnership between our two countries.
The Hanoi laboratory is the most modern and largest facility of its kind in Vietnam in the field of sanitary, epidemiological, and biological safety. It will operate using Russian technologies and methods, focusing on protecting the lives and health of the people of Vietnam and the population of the entire Southeast Asian region.
This laboratory complex has been equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic instrumentation, capable of supporting in-depth molecular genetic and virological research.
The technology deployed here will allow for tackling a broad spectrum of challenges: from monitoring, preventing, and countering dangerous infectious agents and emerging strains to the development and clinical evaluation of effective therapeutic drugs and vaccines.
In training Vietnamese laboratory personnel, we drew upon Russian sanitary standards, which are among the most rigorous and advanced in the world. Thanks to cutting-edge engineering systems for sensing, filtration, and decontamination, working conditions here fully comply with all norms and standards for bacteriological protection and laboratory safety.
I am confident that the Hanoi laboratory will become a valuable component of the Tropical Centre, integrating seamlessly into its existing operations and significantly strengthening its scientific potential.
I would also recall that last year, Russia gifted the research vessel Professor Gagarinsky to our Vietnamese friends. This fully equipped floating research station is now being used by the Centre’s staff for studies in marine biodiversity, as well as for hydrographic and geophysical surveys.
It is worth noting that the Tropical Centre has now been operating productively for nearly four decades, since 1988. Within its walls, Russian and Vietnamese physicians and scientists collaborate on both applied and fundamental research not only in healthcare, but also in environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and the conservation of tropical ecosystems.
Many of the Centre’s studies have gained well-deserved international recognition, and its scientific staff are highly reputed in global academic and medical circles, owing to their special expertise, extensive practical experience, and a strong sense of responsibility.
I would like to wish all those taking part in today’s ceremony, and in particular the management and staff of the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Centre, as well as the team at the new Hanoi laboratory, every success, outstanding scientific achievements, and all the very best for the future.
Thank you.
President of Vietnam To Lam (retranslated): Comrade Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation,
Russian and Vietnamese comrades,
It gives me great pleasure to join the President of Russia today for the inauguration of this laboratory for epidemiological surveillance, prevention, and control of infectious diseases. This facility is both important and highly practical, and its commissioning comes at a time when the global health landscape remains deeply challenging. To safeguard public health, we must proactively identify risks and take safeguard measures.
I deeply appreciate the efforts of all the institutions, departments, and specialists who contributed to bringing this laboratory to life. I am also grateful to our Russian colleagues and to Rospotrebnadzor specialists for the technical support. This project stands as a compelling testament to what can be achieved through scientific and technological cooperation in preventive medicine and public health protection.
I urge you to make full use of the laboratory’s capabilities, and to develop it steadily into a modern hub for research and epidemiological surveillance of infectious disease pathogens. With the new infrastructure now in place and a dedicated team of specialists at the helm, I am confident that this laboratory will become a trusted and reliable platform for epidemiological work. It is, above all, a vivid symbol of our friendship.
I would like to wish everyone here good health, happiness, and every success in your endeavours.
Thank you for your attention.
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