Russian-Vietnamese strategic partnership: Key takeaways from Putin-Lam talks

Vladimir Putin and To Lam.
Photo: Sputnik

Vladimir Putin's state visit to Vietnam began in the early hours of Thursday morning when his plane landed at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, shortly after the Russian president met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, Sputnik informs.

Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam concluded in Hanoi on Thursday as part of the Russian head of state’s two-day official visit to Vietnam.

Strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnamremains one of Russia's priorities, Putin stressed during the talks, where the two leaders made the following statements.

"Last year, [bilateral] trade grew by 8 percent. The intergovernmental commission on both sides is working closely on this. The growth of trade is, of course, facilitated by the implementation of the 2015 free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam," the Russian president added.

He recalled that in 2024 Moscow and Hanoi will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of a bilateral friendship treaty.

“All this time, we have maintained regular and meaningful political contacts, including through parliaments, ministries, agencies, parties, regional authorities and public organizations,” Putin said.

According to him, Moscow and Hanoi coordinate their actions in the international arena.

"Russia attaches great importance to the development of dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is one of the leading members," the Russian President said.

Separately, Putin said he would be glad to see the Vietnamese president at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in World War II (Great Patriotic War) of 1941-1945 in Moscow.

For his part, To Lam emphasized that Vietnam "will always remember with gratitude the Russian people's selfless support for its struggle for independence.

The country pursues "an independent and self-sufficient peaceful foreign policy, but at the same time attaches great importance to the development of traditional friendship and a comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia." Hanoi sees Russia as one of Vietnam's foreign policy priorities, Lam added.

He also said that Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, has achieved "important successes" both domestically and internationally.

"We are glad that political and social stability in Russia is strengthening, the economy is actively developing, the living standards of the population are improving; Russia’s position and authority are steadily growing on the international arena," the Vietnamese leader concluded.

Peaceful nuclear energy is a promising area for expanding cooperation between Moscow and Hanoi, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said after talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, To Lam.

“On the agenda is the construction in Vietnam of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology by [Russian atomic energy agency] Rosatom, as well as the training of Vietnamese nuclear specialists in Russian universities,” Putin stated.

Moscow and Hanoi have agreed the main principles of strengthening their strategic partnership, Vietnamese President To Lam has said after talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. This partnership will be based on“the principles of equality, mutual respect, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” he added.

Russia and Vietnam promised each other not to“enter into alliances and treaties with third countries in order to harm each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,”the Vietnamese leader said.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Russia and Vietnam have signed more than a dozen agreements aimed at strengthening their strategic partnership during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Hanoi. Among other things, the two nations have decided to increase cooperation in defense and security, and have issued a memorandum on the schedule for creating a nuclear technology center in Vietnam.

Building relations with Moscow is one of Hanoi’s foreign policy priorities, Vietnamese President To Lam has said during talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

“Vietnam pursues an independent and self-contained peaceful foreign policy, as well as a diversified and multi-vector policy, but at the same time we attach great importance to the development of traditional friendship with Russia,” he said.

The Vietnamese president stressed that his country remembers “the selfless assistance and support that the Russian people provided to Vietnam in our struggle for independence” from Japan and France.

Russia has achieved “important successes” both domestically and internationally under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Vietnamese President To Lam has told his Russian counterpart during talks in Hanoi.

“We are glad that political and social stability in Russia is strengthening, the economy is actively developing, the living standards of the population are improving; Russia’s position and authority are steadily growing on the international arena,” the Vietnamese leader said.

Following his talks with Vietnamese President To Lam, Russian leader Vladimir Putin also held a meeting with the Southeast Asian country’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Despite the“difficulties”of the current situation on the global stage, Moscow is aiming to strengthen its “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Vietnam, Putin told the PM. “We will make every effort to make it work,” he added.

“Vietnam is one of our oldest friends and partners. This relationship of mutual trust and understanding has a long history… It withstood the test of time. The Soviet Union… gave support to the Vietnamese people in their heroic struggle against the French, and then the American invaders, and then it helped to build the Socialist Republic of Vietnam… It is important that in Vietnam you remember this,” the Russian leader said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid a wreath at the Memorial to Fallen Heroes in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi. The memorial was opened in 1994 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Vietnamese victory over the French colonialists:

The key points from a joint statement by Russia and Vietnam, issued during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Hanoi:

▪️ Vietnam welcomes the re-election of Vladimir Putin in 2024 and recognises the support of the Russian population for his foreign policy;

▪️ Russia and Vietnam agree to strengthen bilateral interaction, and create new mechanisms for cooperation;

▪️ Moscow and Hanoi oppose the deployment of weapons in space;

▪️ Russia highly appreciates Vietnam’s balanced and objective stance on the Ukraine crisis;

▪️ Vietnam strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall outside Moscow in March and expresses support for Russia’s fight against terrorism;

▪️ Russia and Vietnam call for the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital;

▪️ Moscow and Hanoi support strengthening the central role of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the system of interstate relations in the Asia-Pacific region;

▪️ Russia and Vietnam are intensifying the activities of a high-level working group on priority investment projects;

▪️ The countries agree to speed up the implementation of a project to build a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam.