Kremlin materials, cited by TASS, reported that Russia-Mongolia trade increased by 18.1% in the first half of 2026, reaching $1.57 billion. ^[1] Evgeny Vlasov, chairman of the Vietnam Friendship Society in Primorye and vice-rector for international relations at Far Eastern Federal University, said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that Vietnam and Russia's Far East have favorable geographic and economic conditions to expand cooperation. ^[2] Kremlin materials were prepared for an upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian Prime Minister Nyam-Osoryn Uchral on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum. ^[3] The Kremlin materials stated that Russia has long been Mongolia's second-largest trading partner after China. ^[4] Vlasov cited existing sea transport routes between Vladivostok and the Vietnamese ports of Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City as a foundation for expanding bilateral trade between Vietnam and Russia's Far East. ^[5] Vlasov said Vietnam could act as a gateway for Russian businesses to the ASEAN market, just as Russia's Far East could be a gateway for Vietnam to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) market. ^[6] Vlasov said Vietnamese enterprises seeking to enter the Russian market, including the Far East, face limits in market information and understanding, and need staff with analytical skills, knowledge of business culture and legal rules, and ability to build local relationships. ^[7]