(VNA): Russia will grant 210 scholarships to Vietnamese students in the 2005-06 academic year under an educational co-operation agreement for the 2005-08 period that was signed in Moscow on June 24.

Under the newly-signed accord inked by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Van Nganh and Russian Minister of Education and Science, Andrey Fursenko, every year, 30 Vietnamese students, post-graduates and trainees will study in Russia. The same number of Russian students will conversely study in Vietnam.

The accord also aims to promote the training of the Vietnamese and Russian languages. Along with the student exchanges, 15 Vietnamese and Russian language teachers will attend 10-month refresh courses in the other country every year.

Vietnam and Russia will co-operate in training scientists and administrators and promote direct co-operation between their educational establishments. The education sectors will design programmes and projects to enhance humanities, natural science and technology study.

In addition, they will exchange students and post-graduates, who specialise in the education, and conduct joint research on the two countries' cultures and languagues.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vietnamese ambassador Nguyen Van Nganh expressed his thanks to the Russian Government and people for training Vietnamese personnel in various aspects. He said he hoped for further development of the traditional friendship, strategic partnership and multi-faceted co-operation between the two countries.

Minister Fursenko noted that the two countries' co-operation, especially in education and science, has resulted in greater achievements for both countries