A festival in the Russian city of Sochi on May 19 celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia dialogue partnership.

The festival featured performances from troupes from Russia and the ten ASEAN member states, with Viet Nam staging traditional dance and music.

Viet Nam also held an exhibition introducing the country through photos, handicrafts and musical instruments.

A performance of the Vietnamese troupe at the festival (Photo: VNA)

The event was held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, which runs between May 19 and 20.

The ASEAN, boasting a combined population of about 630 million, GDP of some 2.57 trillion USD and stable economic growth, has been recognised as an important factor in the development of Asia-Pacific. Russia has affirmed that cooperation with ASEAN will help the country increase its standing in the region.

In the last five years, trade turnover between Russia and the ASEAN nations doubled and hit a record 21.5 billion USD in 2014.

(Source: VNA)