Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam for discussions with its communist leadership, marking the final stop of his two-nation Asian tour following the signing of a defense pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Russian president’s aircraft landed at Hanoi airport, where he was greeted with a red carpet reception by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and top party diplomat Le Hoai Trung.
Vietnam has been preparing an elaborate state welcome for Putin, his first visit since 2017. However, the trip has sparked criticism from its top trading partner, the United States.
Putin’s itinerary includes meetings with Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, State President To Lam, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Additionally, he is scheduled to participate in wreath-laying ceremonies, including one at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which houses the embalmed remains of Vietnam’s founding leader.
According to Russian officials, the visit will primarily address economic, educational, and energy issues.
In 2022, trade between the two nations was a mere $3.5 billion, a stark contrast to Vietnam’s $175 billion trade with China and $123 billion with the United States.
Nonetheless, experts suggest that discussions on Ukraine and defense cooperation will likely occur behind closed doors.
Russia and Vietnam share a history of strong ties dating back to the 1950s, with Moscow serving as Hanoi’s main arms supplier for many years.
In a commentary coinciding with his visit, Putin commended Vietnam for endorsing “a pragmatic way to solve the crisis” in Ukraine.
Officially, Vietnam maintains a neutral foreign policy and has abstained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a position that some Western countries deem overly lenient towards the Kremlin.
Alongside his praise for Vietnam’s stance on the Ukraine conflict, Putin highlighted advancements in payments, energy, and trade between the two nations in an article published in Vietnam’s Communist Party newspaper, Nhan Dan.
Despite the international isolation faced by both North Korea and Russia, Vietnam has carefully cultivated alliances with the US and EU.
The US, which upgraded its diplomatic relations with Hanoi last year and is Vietnam’s leading export market, opposed Putin’s visit.
“No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities,” a spokesperson for the US embassy in Hanoi stated this week.
Putin’s presence in Vietnam follows a notable visit to Pyongyang, during which he and Kim Jong-un signed a mutual defense pact.
The agreement includes a clause obligating the countries to support each other if either is attacked, raising Western concerns about potential Russian support for North Korea’s missile or nuclear programs.
In contrast, US President Joe Biden visited Hanoi in September to strengthen ties, aiming to develop Vietnam as an alternative supplier of key high-tech components to reduce American dependence on China.
Shortly after, Chinese President Xi Jinping also made a state visit, highlighting the strategic importance of Vietnam in regional geopolitics.
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