Both sides discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in ethnic affairs, as well as fostering opportunities for experience sharing between relevant agencies of the two nations.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang stated that Vietnam is a multi-ethnic nation where 54 ethnic groups coexist, including 53 ethnic minorities accounting for over 14% of the country's total population. Regarding religion, Vietnam encompasses 16 recognized religions with approximately 28 million followers, representing 28% of the national population.

The Party and State of Vietnam consistently identify ethnic affairs as holding a long-term, strategic position aimed at consolidating great national unity, ensuring socio-political stability, promoting socio-economic development, and preserving as well as promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups.  

The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam is a governmental agency performing the function of state management of ethnic and religious affairs. In executing this state administrative mandate, the Ministry attaches special importance to international cooperation and intensifying exchanges of experience with agencies in charge of ethnic affairs from other countries, especially nations sharing similar ethnic characteristics and possessing rich experience in formulating and implementing ethnic policies.

In recent years, Vietnam has actively maintained and developed cooperation with agencies in charge of ethnic affairs from various countries across the region and the world, such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and China. Concurrently, it has broadened exchanges with other partners through bilateral delegation visits, sharing expertise in formulating and implementing ethnic policies, promoting people-to-people exchanges, cultural, educational, and scientific cooperation, and deepening mutual understanding among ethnic communities, thereby contributing to enhanced mutual understanding and cooperation between Vietnam's ethnic affairs authorities and international counterparts.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang highly appreciated the active coordination between both sides over the past period in finalizing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam and the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation. He affirmed that the signing of the MOU holds significant importance, creating an institutional framework for the two agencies to strengthen exchanges and substantive collaboration in areas of mutual interest.  

He expressed the aspiration that the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of Vietnam will jointly translate the agreed commitments in the MOU into concrete, practical, and effective cooperative programs.

"Vietnam attaches great importance to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the Russian Federation and highly values the potential for cooperation between the two agencies in the field of ethnic affairs," affirmed Minister Nguyen Dinh Khang.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang receives souvenir from Deputy Director Stanislav Bedkin

In discussion with the Vietnamese Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Deputy Director of the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation Stanislav Bedkin emphasized that Russia and Vietnam are closely bound by traditional friendship, good neighborliness, and profound convergence of core interests.

Deputy Director Stanislav Bedkin noted that Russia is a multi-ethnic federation home to representatives of more than 190 ethnic groups, with approximately 300 languages and dialects spoken nationwide. He expressed strong confidence that the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will contribute to strengthening ties between the two countries in implementing ethnic policies as well as general cultural, scientific, and educational initiatives.

Both sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges, share best practices, and study specific cooperative activities in the coming time, fostering mutual understanding and partnership between the two bodies while actively contributing to the flourishing friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

According to the agenda, on September 9, 2026, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyễn Đình Khang and Director of the Federal Agency for Nationalities of the Russian Federation I.V. Barinov will officially exchange the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation within the framework of state-level events in Moscow.  

Posing for group photo