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42COOPERATION BETWEEN VIETNAM AND RUSSIA IN THE FIELD OF LABOR MIGRATION: DIRECTIONS AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Dang Minh Duc
Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam E-mail: [email protected]
Nguyen Chi Hieu
Communist Review, Hanoi, Vietnam E-mail: [email protected]
Tran Dinh Hung
Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam E-mail: [email protected]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.19181/demis.2022.2115
For citation: Dang Minh Duc, Nguyen Chi Hieu, Tran Dinh Hung. Cooperation Between Vietnam and Russia in the Field of Labor Migration: Directions and New Opportunities. DEMIS. Demographic Research. 2022. Vol. 2. No. 1. Pp. 191-202. DOI: https:// doi.org/l0.1918l/demis.2022.2.1.15
Abstract. Current Vietnam - Russia relations are a continuation of the former Vietnam - Soviet Union traditional relations. Looking back at the reality and prospect of cooperation between the two countries over the past 20 years, from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive partnership, it can be seen that both sides have their potential and interests in this cooperation. These relations are increasingly deepening, especially in the areas where both sides have strong points, starting from politics and diplomacy, economy, culture and society, and up to national security and defense, where the two countries have reached great achievements. In particular, labor cooperation is an important foundation for promoting Vietnam - Russia relations to the next level. Vietnam with a population of 96.2 million people, has a labor force accounting for nearly two-thirds of the population including young, qualified and skilled workers. Therefore, sending workers abroad is a major policy of Vietnam in order to create jobs for workers and develop the country's socio-economic sphere in the process of international integration. After many years of stagnation, the Labor Cooperation Agreement was signed (in 2008) between the two sides as an important foundation for sending the Vietnamese labor force to work in the Russian Federation. The COVID-19 pandemic also has a profound impact on Russia in all aspects - not only on the country's economic and social development in general but also on the lives of migrant workers and labor cooperation between Russia and Vietnam in particular. The paper analyzes labor cooperation between the two sides, including its legal basis, and proposes a number of solutions to overcome difficulties caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: labor cooperation, legal framework, recommendations, COVID-19, Vietnam, Russia.
Introduction
The Vietnam - Russia comprehensive partnership, through the ups and downs in the late 20th century, along with adjustments in foreign policies from both sides has transitioned to a more dynamic and effective phase in the early 21st century. The first visit to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2001 and the Joint Statement on Vietnam - Russia strategic partnership established a comprehensive and long-term cooperation framework on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. Russia considers Vietnam as a strategic partner not only in Southeast Asia but also in the whole Asia-Pacific region. This opens a new phase in the relationship between the two countries. The two sides regularly hold meetings at all levels and discuss bilateral and multilateral issues. The two
countries have achieved many results in implementing the strategic partnership in all fields of politics, security, defense, economy, investment, culture, education, and training, as well as labor issues. In particular, Vietnam and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have signed the Vietnam - EAEU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) (between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia). The Agreement has strategic significance, creating a legal framework and favorable conditions for the development of economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the EAEU in general as well as with each member state in particular. This also marked a turning point in the process of the deep international economic integration ofVietnam.
Vietnam currently has a population of more than 96.2 million people. Of which, about 33.05 million people (34.4% of the population) live in urban areas and 63.15 million people live in rural areas (accounting for about two-thirds of the total population). The labor force aged 15 and over is 55.7 million people (in 2019), ranking 3rd in the ASEAN region in terms of labor force participation rate. Every year, Vietnam has more than 100,000 people working abroad. The total number of Vietnamese workers currently working abroad amounts to about 650,000 in more than 40 countries and territories1. Some traditional foreign labor markets receive many Vietnamese workers, such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Recently some European countries also demonstrate an increasing demand in receiving labor from Vietnam, such as Russia, Romania, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Austria, etc.
Sending workers abroad is a key policy of Vietnam in order to create jobs for workers and develop the country in the trend of international integration, contributing to the development of all-round relations with other countries on the principle of equality and mutual benefit. After years of stagnation, the Labor Cooperation Agreement between Vietnam and Russia was signed in 2008 which was an important foundation for bringing Vietnamese workers to work in Russia. Accordingly, many Vietnamese workers have come to work in Russia, and vice versa, many Russian workers, through investment projects have come to work and live in Vietnam. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all countries have been deeply affected and it is still evolving very complicatedly. The COVID-19 pandemic also leaves profound impact on Russia in all aspects, from economy and society to the lives of migrant workers in general and labor cooperation between Russia and Vietnam in particular.
Legal framework and results achieved in labor cooperation between Vietnam and Russia
Cooperation in the field of labor is considered very potential in the context of the aging Russian population structure. Meanwhile, the labor force of CIS countries working in Russia can only meet the seasonal labor demand. Currently, Russia's population is about 145.934 million people (in 2020) and it is forecasted that by 2050 it will decrease to about 111 million people (while in 2000, Russia's population amounted to 146.404 million people, and in 2010 it was 143.478 million people)2. Not only the population tends to decrease, but also population aging rate is high, and fertility rate is low - only 1.6 children per woman compared to the world average of 2.4 children per woman and even the US which has 1.8
1 Anh Tuyet. 650.000 Vietnamese are working abroad [650.000 nguài Viêt Nam dang lao dông à nuâc ngoài] // Vietnam Times [Thài Bai]. News Agency. 15.01.2020. URL: https://thoidai.com.vn/650000-nguoi-viet-nam-dang-lao-dong-o-nuoc-ngoai-97105.html (accessed on 20.08.2021).
2 Russia Demographics // Worldometer. Reference website. URL: https://www.worldometers.info/ about/ (accessed on 20.08.2021).
children per woman. The death rate is high at 13.4 people per 1,000 population. On the other hand, the immigration rate to Russia remains low compared to some other countries of the world, with 1.7 people per 1,000 population, while in the US it is 3.8 people per 1,000 population. Migrants coming to Russia are mainly residents of the CIS and Eastern European countries3. Taking into account such a demographic situation, the Russian Government has raised monetary subsidies and increased the duration of maternity leave to encourage women to give birth to more children, along with many adjustments to the country's migration and immigration policies for foreign workers, especially those implementing labor cooperation with a number of partners including Vietnam to make up for the shortage ofhuman resources. These decisions contribute to the Russian Federation's sustainable socio-economic development.
Vietnam and Russia signed agreements and protocols on labor cooperation on October 27, 2008, but officially those documents took effect on November 26, 2013. This is the legal basis for citizens of both sides to work in each other's territories for a limited time. The Agreement has an important meaning in enhancing the protection of citizens of the two states while working and living in the other country. This Agreement is valid for 5 years and can be extended for a further 3 years. It stipulates the legal conditions when citizens of the two countries work for a fixed term in each other's territory, including workers, officials, experts, etc. In this Agreement, there are some notable points such as: if the employee is terminated from a contract with a company, he/she can stay to sign a labor contract with another company and when the labor contract terminates, the cost for the employee's travel back home will be paid by the employer4.
The Agreement also stipulates that Russian enterprises should standardize the conditions for Vietnamese workers as follows. Employees have a working term of 2 years which can be extended by the employer once a year, and there is no fee when renewing the contract. Working time is 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, 26 days a month and the employee can work overtime 2 hours a day (ex., for the textile industry). Overtime pay is equal to 150% of the basic hourly wage with a meal. Employees are entitled to holidays and sick leave according to the labor law of the Russian Federation5. When working in Russia, employees will be paid all social benefits by the company such as: health insurance or occupational accident insurance according to Russian labor law. In addition, employees are also supported with free accommodation and travel, and periodical health checks. In particular, Russian law prohibits workers from illegally striking, from working for other employers, and from violating the laws of the Russian Federation. The employer has the right to terminate the contract ahead of time if the employee violates the company's regulations or the legislation of the Russian Federation.
3 Rosenberg M. Population Decline in Russia // Thought Co. Reference site. 02.09.2019. URL: https://www.thoughtco.com/population-decline-in-russia-1435266 (accessed on 20.08.2021).
4 A definite-term labor cooperation agreement between Vietnam and Russia approved by the Russian side [Hiep dinh hop tac lao dong co thoi han giua Viet Nam va LB Nga da duoc phia Nga thong qua] // Multifunctional complex "Hanoi - Moscow" [To hop Da chuc nang "Ha Noi - Matxcova"] [site]. URL: http: //incentra. com. vn/tin-tuc/chi-tiet/hiep-dinh-hop-tac-lao-dong-co-thoi-han-giua-viet-nam-va-lb-nga-da-duoc-phia-nga-thong-qua (accessed on 20.08.2021).
5 Russian Federation - Potential destination for Vietnamese workers in 2019 [Lien Bang Nga - Thi truong tiem nang cho lao dong Viet trong nam 2019] // Yen Bai Newspaper. 24.12.2018. URL: http://www.yenbai.gov.vn/lao-dong-xuat-khau/noidung/tintuc/Pages/chi-tiet-tin-tuc. aspx?ItemID=848&l=TinHoatDong (accessed on 20.08.2021).
Thus, citizens of Vietnam and Russia will be legally protected when working for a fixed term in the two countries. This is very important for Vietnamese workers, especially at a time when the Russian government is tightening its management of migrant workers. The Agreement is also a legal basis for the responsible agencies of the two sides - the Ministry of Labor, War invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - to exchange information on policies for overseas workers in order to remove difficulties and obstacles, at the same time, promoting cooperation on labor and enabling to solve the problem of human resources for socio-economic development of the two sides.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, official labor relations between the two sides almost stalled. It was not until 2008 that the two sides signed a cooperation agreement on labor and opened up new cooperation opportunities. However, there are still many obstacles: ex., Vietnam wants Russia to review and clarify procedures for medical checkups and language tests for Vietnamese workers, and at the same time to create favorable conditions for workers who are doing business, living, and working in Russia. Most of these workers do not go through Vietnamese labor supply organizations and enterprises.
On the other hand, one of the current difficulties is that the Russian side only provides foreign labor quotas for one year at a time, and the number is always changing. This adjustment makes the number of Vietnamese workers working in Vietnamese enterprises in the Russian Federation face a temporary legal situation. The legalization of these workers is very complicated, many people accept to work illegally, which leads to negative consequences in the management system, as well as the loss of tax revenue for the state. Moreover, the granting of annual quotas is probably only suitable for seasonal workers from CIS countries. Taking into account the current number of Vietnamese workers in Russia, many of whom are illegal workers, it is necessary to create favorable conditions so that they could get legal status for a reasonable time, about 2 or 3 years in order to both manage migration and collect taxes. At the same time, if people cannot afford to stay in the country, they should have enough time to prepare for returning home.
According to the General Department of Migration, Russia has granted quotas for migrant workers as follows: 23,695 people in 2000, 18,784 people in 2005, 13,416 people in 2010, 13,671 people in 2015 and 17,596 people in 2017 [1] [see Table 1]. In 2019 there were 17,407 workers in Russia [2] [see Fig. 1]. It is expected that Vietnam will continue to negotiate so that in the coming time, Russia will receive an average of 15,000-20,000 workers per year6. Vietnamese workers coming to work in Russia mainly focus on several industries such as construction, garment, mechanical engineering, and agriculture. The salary of employees is about 700-1,200 USD per month, which is equivalent to 15.7-27 million VND per month [see Table 2]. Vietnamese workers are living and working mainly in such Russian cities and regions as Vladimir, Kaluga, Ryazan, Saint Peterburg and Leningrad Region, Pskov, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Sverdlovsk, Khakasia, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Tomsk, and Moscow7.
6 Russia will receive 20,000 Vietnamese workers every year [Nga se tiêp nhân 20.000 lao dông Viêt môi nam] // VN News. News website. 08.07.2019. URL: https://vtv.vn/trong-nuoc/nga-se-tiep-nhan-den-20000-lao-dong-viet-moi-nam-20190708150421578.htm (accessed on 20.08.2021).
7 Buckley C., Peachey E., Hofmann E. The Tenacity of Transnational Networks: Vietnamese Migrants in the Soviet Union and Russian Federation // Population Association of America [site]. URL: https://paa2012.princeton.edu/papers/122450 (accessed on 20.08.2021).
5595
7068
Registered person at the place of residence Registered person at the place of living Travelling Students Workers Not-resident permits Temporary resident permits | 2446
Resident permits 10687
9075
29132
17407
9986
20000 40000 60000 80000 100000
Fig. 1. Number of Vietnamese migrants in Russia in 2019
Source: [2]
Table 1.
Indicators of Russia's migration policy on migrants from Vietnam in 2016-2019
Indicators 2016 2017 2018 2019
Visa granted 22,045 25,748 28,566 25,797
Migration registration numbers 62,553 72,644 83,587 96,345
in which the number of first registration 44,996 51,535 55,792 69,386
Trip purposes:
- Travelling 10,982 9,737 15,053 29,132
- Study 6,241 6,553 6,724 7,068
- Work 16,708 21,120 17,407 17,407
-Personal purposes 5,201 7,157 11,168 9,986
- Other 5,864 6,968 5,440 5,793
Have a temporary residence permit until the end of the year 3,117
Have a residence permit 8,978 9,785 10,104 10,687
Have Russian citizenship 287 331 401 474
Source: [1]
Table 2.
Average income of Vietnamese workers in some countries
No Destination Salary range (USD/month) Other income average (USD/ month) Estimated ratio of the average salary of Vietnamese migrant workers to the average salary of the host country (%)
1 Taiwan 650 200 45.8
2 South Korea 1,000 250 35.2
3 Japan 1,400 200 42.2
4 Malaysia 300 111 46.1
5 Saudi Arabia 320 100 5.7
6 Laos 300 113 180.0
No Destination Salary range (USD/month) Other income average (USD/ month) Estimated ratio of the average salary of Vietnamese migrant workers to the average salary of the host country (%)
7 Russian Federation 800 200 41.7
8 Qatar 320 100 4.9
9 Germany 1,137 - 31.1
10 Australia 4,000 800 93.8
Source: Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs ofVietnam8, cit. ex [3]
In Vietnam, Russian workers mainly work at the Vietsovpetro joint venture, so the Russian side is only interested in asking Vietnam to exempt the work permit procedure for Russian workers. The total number of Russian workers in Vietnam under this agreement is 891 people (in 2018), of which 177 people were granted work permits under Decree No. 11/2016/ND-CP, and 20 people are not subject to work permits. The above-mentioned workers need to declare to the local labor authorities to be exempted from the above permit.
Obviously, cooperation between Vietnam and Russia has strong political support, but the mechanism needs to be changed. The previous subsidy management mechanism should be abolished as applied in the field of labor cooperation. In terms of state management in labor cooperation, it is still macro-managed by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam. However, direct management should be performed by enterprises and based on actual needs to organize the sending of workers, there should be close cooperation between Vietnamese enterprises, Russian enterprises, the Vietnamese embassy, and the Russian labor management agency to work together, especially on the mechanism for granting work visas between the two sides. In addition to ensuring a satisfactory income, having a stable job for a long time like 5-10 years would be more attractive to employees. Since the Ukrainian crisis stroke, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Russian economy has faced many difficulties, so the opportunities for attracting foreign labor to Russia are now limited due to a decrease in labor demand.
COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations to promote labor cooperation between Vietnam and Russia
The COVID-19 pandemic with the "social distancing" method to prevent the spread of the virus to the community is implemented on a national scale, as well as at a global level. The Russian government has taken a series of measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic. However, the price to pay is the economic recession. Its cause is the combination of high inflation, tight monetary and fiscal policies, disruptions to global supply chains, falling oil prices due to reduced demand for travel, and some global economic trends, such as oil prices falling by 65.5% in the first half of 2020 amid worsening epidemiology, persistent high geopolitical risks and growing risk aversion that hampered the economic recovery in 2021. According to estimates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the total loss of the world economy in 2020-2021 will amount to approximately 12 trillion USD [4]. According to the estimates by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and the International Monetary Fund, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Russia's GDP is 4.3% and 6.6%
8 Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam [site]. URL: http://english.molisa. gov.vn/Pages/home.aspx (accessed on 20.08.2021).
respectively, and the World Bank forecasts further Russian GDP reduction by about 5.4%. This number is higher than the estimates given in May 2020 [4].
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in Russia is clearly felt by the majority of migrant workers in Russia. Many of these migrant workers stayed in Russia during the pandemic, without any work or income. Statistics from December 2019 show that more than 1.6 million migrant workers are residing in Moscow. Most of them come from Central Asia [4]. Many workers are engaged in sectors such as services or constructions - the sectors that have been especially strongly affected by the COVID-19 restrictions.
The impact of COVID-19 on Russian society is huge. The border closure left hundreds of migrants from different countries stranded in Russia. The problem here is the regulation of the status of migrant workers who stay in Russia and whose permits have expired, that is, they unknowingly become illegal migrants. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia estimates the number of migrants working legally in Russia at 2.5 million (2020 figures) [5], which might be equivalent to the number of migrants working informally. According to experts, up to 90% of migrant workers do not want to leave Russia and expect the crisis to pass. In recent years, Russia has gradually overcome problems in infrastructure development, digital transformation, digital economy development, diversification of resource-based growth, and reduction of regional disparities, especially in the Far East.
Currently, Russia is continuing to modernize the field of oil and gas exploitation, transportation, and production, strengthen cooperation in exploitation in CIS countries, as well as shifts to expand export markets to the East. It concerns major cooperation with enterprises, state corporations ofVietnam, and the Russian Federation. These are fields that require large capital, professional and organized workforce, so it is going be a breakthrough in joint venture cooperation between the two sides. From state-owned enterprises, there will be the attraction of small and medium enterprises ofboth sides. From this cooperation, there will be spillover effects to labor cooperation, to liquefied petroleum gas cooperation. This will also create opportunities to develop sea transport between the two sides, cooperate in developing logistics between the two countries as well as regionally and globally. Cooperation in shipping will affect cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, as well as ship repair between the two countries.
In such a context, the Government of Vietnam and management agencies need to develop, issue and implement policies and solutions to ensure favorable conditions for workers abroad, contributing to the sustainable development oflabor migration. Currently, the quality of Vietnamese labor is still limited, in which the percentage of trained workers is still low, and the shortage of skilled workers has not yet met the needs of the labor market and integration. The gap between training and the needs of the labor market is still large. The imbalance in the structure of training professions between regions has been slowly overcome, but still not meeting the human resource needs of the society.
In order to solve the problems as well as exploit the potential of the two sides, both countries need to implement a number of solutions in the coming time as follows:
Firstly, the Government ofVietnam and the Government ofRussia, through the activities of intergovernmental committees, should have discussions and propose recommendations to promote the development of labor cooperation, facilitate all workers towards compliance with laws, bringing benefits to individuals and businesses, as well as contributing to the countries' development. In particular, the two states should continue to effectively deploy the Vietnam - Russia Labor Working Group to properly implement the labor cooperation agreement signed by the two sides.
Second, Vietnam and Russia should proceed to sign the Agreement on organized recruitment of Vietnamese citizens to work in the Russian territory; the negotiation and signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the attraction and organization of recruitment of Vietnamese laborers to work in the Russian Federation for a definite time will create conditions for both countries to better manage and utilize their human resources according to the strengths and needs of each party, and also contribute to protecting the rights and interests of Vietnamese workers when working at Russia. If signed, Vietnam will be the second country that Russia proposes to sign the Agreement on Organized Labor Recruitment after Uzbekistan. Currently, the two sides are continuing to discuss and negotiate for the second time on the Agreement between the two governments on the attraction and organized recruitment of Vietnamese laborers to work in the territory of Russia for a fixed term.
Third, it is necessary to continue to inform and propagate about changes in immigration laws and policies for workers in two countries; organize job search with vacancies, teach Russian language and organize vocational training for migrant workers who lack the necessary qualifications and skills, and work out cost mechanisms for these activities. At the same time, it is necessary to provide complete and accurate information about the labor market, working conditions, wages, living standards, housing conditions, etc.
Fourth, research is needed to develop management policies for all forms of sending Vietnamese workers to work in Russia through service enterprises and non-business organizations for stricter management of labor migration, limiting damage and risks to workers. In particular, drastic measures taken by the government of the Russian Federation to control the spread of the pandemic have also been a barrier to bringing Vietnamese workers to Russia. Therefore, the recognition of "vaccination passports," when bringing workers, must absolutely comply with regulations on epidemic prevention and control, thoroughly advise employees how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 proactively, and strictly follow the health requirements of both Vietnamese authorities and the receiving country.
Fifth, the Vietnamese side should continue its efforts in training and fostering migrant workers' skills, as well as improving their awareness of potential risks before sending them abroad. Now more workers with professional and technical qualifications are needed in the host countries. Simultaneously, it is important to propagandize and raise awareness of the importance of law observance when working abroad and returning home after the end of the contract with the employer not to stay to work illegally in the violation of the laws of the host country.
Sixth, improving the quality of input selection seems reasonable. The Government should require that enterprises providing the service of sending workers abroad to help the workers and provide them more time to learn about the receiving enterprise and their job abroad, as well as to clarify their career orientations and working goals, understand the corporate culture, customs and habits of the host country in order to meet the requirements of their future employers9.
Seventh, it is necessary to booster the management and administration role of the authorities at all levels, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management conducted by agencies related to the field of labor export, thereby strengthening
9 Nguyen Kim Anh et al. Remittance policy for Vietnam's socio-economic development [Chinh sach kieu hoi phuc vu phat trien kinh te - xa hoi Viet Nam]. Independent national-level research project No. BTBL-XH.15/15.
coordination between central and local state agencies in managing labor migration activities. Strengthening the coordination between relevant ministries and local authorities would help to detect and strictly handle violations in order to prevent workers from being taken overseas by organizations and individuals which have no function of sending workers abroad, including to Russia.
Eighth, we recommend implementing policies to encourage migrant workers to send remittances back home by official means, that is through banks in each country and joint-venture banks, for example, giving them and their families the highest priority in registration and job assignment. That allows to reduce illegal Vietnamese migration with minimal costs and put under state supervision most Vietnamese citizens in the territory of the Russian Federation to avoid the violations of regulations on stay and employment, increasing profits for the Federal and local budgets on the basis of Vietnamese working abroad legally. In this way, it is possible to achieve an improvement in their status, an increase in labor efficiency, and at the same time to raise the level of social and legal insurance, including the issue of ensuring the right to equal pay with other citizens of the Russian Federation who have the same labor intensity, and the right to access to social infrastructure and services. It should be noted that information on the number and characteristics of illegal Vietnamese migrants in Russia is very limited, and the application of measures to publicize may provide an important source of additional information to improve migration regulation, which may allow for more fundamental management solutions in this area.
Ninth, effective implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union would strengthen cooperation in the field of investment, including that of Vietnam into the EAEU and from the EAEU into Vietnam. In order to promote cooperation in this area, it is necessary to redefine the investment priorities of both sides, strengthen commercial activities and market access, attract and implement Russian investment projects in Vietnam. Joint enterprises and investment projects would promote the employment of workers and experts from both countries. Especially, strengthening investment promotion activities would attract Vietnamese enterprises to invest in the projects in the Russian Far East. At the same time, promoting cooperation in the fields of tourism, science, technology, education, and training seems to be quite promising. These are the fields that can become both a bridge and great support for the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries. Strengthening training cooperation not only improves the quality of human resources in Vietnam but also provides human resources for joint ventures and enterprises10.
Tenth, the Russian side in recent years has focused on developing the Far East, but Russia lacks both human resources and investment capital there. At the same time, the Russian Far East is a territory that is rich both in resources and prospects. Oil and gas exploitation, fertilizer, timber, fishing, and agricultural industries have great potential for development in that territory. As a key breakthrough, Vietnam should choose the Far East as a priority in its relations with Russia. Obviously, in Vietnam, these products are now becoming scarce, the country has to import coal, fertilizers, wood, etc. In addition, taking advantage of the vast and fertile land of the Far East to develop agriculture, both serving
10 Hoa Huu Cuong, Nguyen Thanh Lan. Promoting Vietnam - EUEA relations in the new context [Thùc dây quan hê Viêt Nam - Liên minh kinh tê A - Âu trong bôi cành mai] // Communist Review. Organ of Political Theory of Vietnam Communist Party's Central Committee. 22.06.2021. URL: https://www. tapchicongsan.org.vnweb/guest/quoc-phong-an-ninh-oi-ngoai1/-/2018/823414/thuc-day-quan-he-viet-nam—lien-minh-kinh-te-a—au-trong-boi-canh-moi.aspx (accessed on 20.08.2021).
local needs and exporting is promising. On the other hand, in the long-term, the depletion of fossil energy sources, towards the use of clean alternative energies such as biofuels will require huge land funds. As a future vision, this is also a potential field for cooperation between Vietnam and the Far East. The Far East has fast lands and forests, so Vietnam needs to invest labor and capital to exploit these advantages. Well-developed cooperation with the Russian Far East would not only bring economic benefits, but also help Vietnam to deal with redundant laborers in the condition that some localities are crowded with people, and bring stable supplies of coal, fertilizer, clinker, crude oil, gas, timber, etc., reducing pressure on the environment and contributing to fast and sustainable development for both Vietnam and the Far East. However, for the actualization of these prospects, a great effort is required in high-level political relations between the two sides, aiming at practical interests and development needs of the two countries and overcoming obstacles in terms of security, sovereignty, and culture for the benefit of long-term development as well as the strategic partnership between the two sides.
Conclusion
Vietnam and Russia have emphasized promoting comprehensive cooperation in all fields in order to implement the agreements signed by the two governments. Since 2001, the two sides have signed 54 bilateral agreements, with 41 agreements still in force, especially the Labor Cooperation Agreement between the two countries. Through the Intergovernmental Committee, the two countries need to continue to remove obstacles related to bilateral cooperation, as well as discuss directions and measures to further promote cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in a more practical and effective manner, in which promoting labor cooperation is one of the priorities in the coming time. Labor export will bring benefits to Vietnam because when workers return home, they bring their financial resources and human capital contributing to the country's future development and at the same time promoting comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in practice.
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Bio note:
Dang Minh Duc, PhD, Associate Professor, Senior Researcher, Vice Director, Institute for European Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Contact information: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7441-202X.
Nguyen Chi Hieu, PhD, Associate Professor, Senior Editor, Communist Review, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Contact information: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7593-1107.
Tran Dinh Hung, PhD, Researcher, Institute for European Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Contact information: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6312-0988.
Acknowledgements and financing:
The study is conducted with support from Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology, Project "The Vietnamese Community in Russian and CIS countries in 1991-2018," Code: NBT.72.RU/19.
Received on 12.11.2021; accepted for publication on 20.01.2022. The authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВО МЕЖДУ ВЬЕТНАМОМ И РОССИЕЙ В СФЕРЕ ТРУДОВОЙ МИГРАЦИИ: НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ И НОВЫЕ ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ
Данг Мин Дык
Вьетнамская академия общественных наук, Ханой, Вьетнам E-mail: [email protected]
Нгуен Чи Хьеу
Редакция журнала «Коммунистическое обозрение», Ханой, Вьетнам E-mail: [email protected]
Чан Динь Хунг
Вьетнамская академия общественных наук, Ханой, Вьетнам E-mail: [email protected]
Для цитирования: Данг Мин Дык, Нгуен Чи Хьеу, Чан Динь Хунг. Сотрудничество между Вьетнамом и Россией в сфере трудовой миграции: направления и новые возможности // ДЕМИС. Демографические исследования. 2022. Т. 2. № 1. С. 191-202. DOI: https://doi.Org/l0.1918l/demis.2022.2.1.15
Аннотация. Вьетнамско-российские отношения сегодня продолжают традиции, заложенные в отношениях с Вьетнамом еще Советским Союзом. Рассмотрев реальный ход развития и перспективы взаимоотношений между двумя странами, которые за последние двадцать лет прошли путь от стратегического партнерства до всеобъемлющего сотрудничества, мы видим, что обе стороны имеют здесь свой потенциал и свои интересы. Сотрудничество России и Вьетнама продолжает углубляться, особенно в тех областях, которые являются сильными сторонами для обеих стран: от политики и дипломатии, экономики, культуры и социальной сферы до вопросов национальной безопасности и оборонной сферы. В частности, кооперация в обмене трудовыми ресурсами является важным основанием для продвижения вьетнамско-российских отношений на новый уровень. Население Вьетнама сегодня насчитывает порядка 96,2 млн человек, при этом рабочая сила составляет около двух третьих населения и включает значительную долю молодых, квалифицированных и опытных работников. Поэтому экспорт рабочей силы за границу является основной политикой Вьетнама в целях создания рабочих мест и продвижения социально-экономического развития страны в условиях международной интеграции. После долгих лет застоя в данной сфере в 2008 г. между Россией и Вьетнамом было подписано соглашение о временной трудовой деятельности их граждан на территории страны-партнера, которое стало важнейшей правовой основой для направления вьетнамских трудовых мигрантов в Российскую Федерацию. Сегодня пандемия COVID-19 оказывает сильнейшее влияние на сотрудничество двух стран в области обмена трудовыми ресурсами, а также на условия жизни трудовых мигрантов, экономику и социальное развитие страны в целом. В данной статье анализируется современное состояние трудовой миграции из Вьетнама в Россию, в том числе ее правовая основа, а также предлагается ряд рекомендаций по возможным направлениям работы для преодоления трудностей, вызванных последствиями пандемии COVID-19.
Ключевые слова: сотрудничество, трудовая миграция, правовая база, рекомендации, COVID-19, Вьетнам, Россия.
Сведения об авторах:
Данг Мин Дык, доктор наук, доцент, старший научный сотрудник, заместитель директора Института европейских исследований Вьетнамской академии общественных наук, Ханой, Вьетнам.
Контактная информация: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7441-202X
Нгуен Чи Хьеу, доктор наук, доцент, старший редактор журнала «Коммунистическое обозрение», Ханой, Вьетнам.
Контактная информация: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0 0 0 0-0 001-7593-1107. Чан Динь Хунг, доктор наук, научный сотрудник Института европейских исследований Вьетнамской академии социальных наук, Ханой, Вьетнам.
Контактная информация: e-mail: [email protected]; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6312-0988.
Благодарности и финансирование:
Исследование проводится при поддержке Министерства науки и технологий Вьетнама, Проект № NBT.72.RU/19 «Вьетнамская община в России и странах СНГ в 1991-2018 гг.».
Статья поступила в редакцию 12.11.2021; принята в печать 20.01.2022. Авторы прочитали и одобрили окончательный вариант рукописи.
