Putin praises 'pragmatic' Vietnam ahead of Hanoi talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vietnam early on Thursday for talks with the country's leaders on the final stop of his two-nation tour of Asia after concluding a defence pact with North Korea. Putin's aircraft touched down at Hanoi's airport, where he was met on a red carpet by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and top Communist Party diplomat Le Hoai Trung. In an opinion piece timed for his visit, Putin applauded the Southeast Asian Communist-ruled country for supporting "a pragmatic way to solve the crisis" in Ukraine. Vietnam, which officially pursues a neutral foreign policy, has abstained from condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine. As well as praising Vietnam for its "balanced" stance on the Ukraine war, Putin listed progress on payments, energy and trade between the countries in the article published in Vietnam's Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan. The Southeast Asian country is the third nation Putin has visited, after China and North Korea, since he was sworn in for a fifth term in May. Vietnam has been gearing up for a full state welcome for Putin, his first visit since 2017 and his fifth in total. Putin is due to meet Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, President To Lam and Prime Minster Pham Minh Chinh. (Reuters)