Russia's president to visit Vietnam, sparking US rebuke of Hanoi
WORLD 17 June 2024 - 18:01
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Hanoi this week, Vietnamese and Russian state media said on June 17, highlighting Communist-ruled Vietnam's loyalty to Russia and triggering a US rebuke.
The visit follows Hanoi avoiding a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland last weekend, while sending its deputy foreign minister to a BRICS meeting in Russia earlier last week, per Reuters.
Putin, who was sworn in for a fifth time just over a month ago, is expected to meet Vietnam's new president, To Lam, and other leaders during the two-day visit to Hanoi on June 19 and June 20, officials said.
The United States, which upgraded relations with Hanoi last year and is Vietnam's top trading partner, reacted harshly.
"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 U.S. embassy in Hanoi told Reuters when asked about the impact of the visit on ties with the United States.
"If he is able to travel freely, it could normalize Russia's blatant violations of international law," the spokesperson added, referring to the invasion of Ukraine that Putin launched in February 2022.
Vietnam's foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued in March 2023 an arrest warrant for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Vietnam, Russia and the U.S. are not members of the ICC.
The European Union, another key economic partner for Vietnam, did not comment ahead of the visit, but it expressed dissatisfaction last month over Hanoi's decision to delay a meeting with the EU envoy on Russian sanctions - a delay that officials linked to preparations for Putin's visit.
From Hanoi's perspective, the visit is meant "to demonstrate that Vietnam pursues a balanced foreign policy that does not favour any of the major powers," said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, after the country hosted Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in recent months.
ENERGY, ARMS, TECH
In his first state visit to Vietnam since 2017 and his fifth in total, Putin is expected to announce agreements in sectors including trade, investment, technology and education, two officials told Reuters, although that was subject to change.
However, discussions with Vietnamese leaders are likely to focus on more sensitive issues, the officials said, declining to be identified as the matter was not public.
Those talks would include arms, of which Russia has historically been Vietnam's top supplier; energy, with Russian companies operating in Vietnamese gas and oil fields in areas of the South China Sea claimed by China; and payments, as the two countries have struggled to carry out transactions because of U.S. sanctions on Russian banks, one of the officials said.
It is not clear whether announcements on these topics will be made.
"The main issues relate to shoring up economic and commercial ties, including arms sales," said Carl Thayer, a senior expert on Vietnam security at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.
Putin and Vietnam's leaders will likely agree to work out rouble-dong currency transactions via the banking system to enable payment for goods and services, he said.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Armenian special forces' bold move Confiscation sparks political backlash
24 June 2024 - 17:07
|
2
|
Armenia’s military build-up & western alignments risk renewed conflict Baku warns Yerevan
23 June 2024 - 11:39
|
3
|
Steering through tangled web of conflict & peace between Azerbaijan & Armenia High time to do away with a vicious circle
23 June 2024 - 09:17
|
4
|
Armenia's truce violations amid rising tensions & strategic weapons deals with France Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it
23 June 2024 - 15:31
|
5
|
Why does Russia want to recognize the Taliban government? Graveyard of empires
25 June 2024 - 12:36
|
NATO headquarters marks Azerbaijan Armed Forces Day in Brussels
26 June 2024 - 17:36
Einstein letter warning Roosevelt of threat of Nazi nuclear bomb set to fetch $4 million
26 June 2024 - 17:24
Türkiye claims unrestricted media access in Ukrainian conflict zone
26 June 2024 - 17:12
Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile explodes in mid-flight
26 June 2024 - 17:00
NATO secretary general wishes success to his successor
26 June 2024 - 16:48
Turkish leader to meet new NATO secretary general in Washington
26 June 2024 - 16:36
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan strengthen rail cooperation across Caspian
Review by Caliber.Az26 June 2024 - 16:24
Azerbaijani FM to discuss bilateral cooperation issues in Georgia
26 June 2024 - 16:12
Azerbaijan's Defence Minister hosts Italian counterpart for strategic talks
PHOTO/VIDEO26 June 2024 - 16:00
"Pride" and armament
Can Yerevan be trusted?26 June 2024 - 15:48
Western Azerbaijan Community responds to UN High Commissioner's biased statement
26 June 2024 - 15:33
Azerbaijani President receives delegation led by Italian defence minister
PHOTO26 June 2024 - 15:18
Kenya starts clearing debris after protests
26 June 2024 - 15:03
Pashinyan, his Parisian boss have no interest in peace with Azerbaijan
Expert opinions26 June 2024 - 14:48
Türkiye's new combat drone achieves highest altitude milestone
26 June 2024 - 14:34
Japanese PM to visit Kazakhstan in August
26 June 2024 - 14:20
President Aliyev receives Italian-made military transport aircraft C-27J Spartan
UPDATED / PHOTO26 June 2024 - 14:12
Iran demands immediate withdrawal of US troops from Syria
26 June 2024 - 14:07
WSJ: US constrained in imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran
26 June 2024 - 13:45
Ukrainian presidential office refutes plan of Trump’s advisers on settlement
26 June 2024 - 13:32
Mark Rutte confirmed as next NATO Secretary General
26 June 2024 - 13:20
Azerbaijani FM congratulates military personnel on holiday
26 June 2024 - 13:07
Bloomberg: Even Macron’s closest allies fear his brand is toxic
26 June 2024 - 12:55
Azerbaijani people proud of army
Caliber.Az describes combat path of Azerbaijani Armed Forces26 June 2024 - 12:43
Security chief: Armenia's future relations with Russia hinge on Moscow's position
26 June 2024 - 12:31
Presidential aide: Diplomacy without military strength akin to music without instruments
26 June 2024 - 12:17
Turkish authorities disrupt international drug cartel in Spain
26 June 2024 - 11:52
Azerbaijan's Air Force: Guardians of the nation's skies
PHOTO26 June 2024 - 11:40
Julian Assange pleads guilty for leaking America's national secrets
Banned from returning to US without permission26 June 2024 - 11:28
Armenia receives tenth package of proposals from Azerbaijan
26 June 2024 - 11:16
Israel accuses UN of keeping food at warehouses in Gaza
26 June 2024 - 11:04
German Bundeswehr set to secure massive munitions production contract
26 June 2024 - 10:53
Pentagon ex-advisor warns US of losing NATO ally
26 June 2024 - 10:40
Russian FM: BRICS to suspend admitting new members
26 June 2024 - 10:27
Former Swiss president elected Council of Europe chief
26 June 2024 - 10:15
Russia, Ukraine each return 90 prisoners of war
26 June 2024 - 10:02
Azerbaijan gained victory over Armenia in anti-terrorist operation rapidly, minister says
26 June 2024 - 09:50
SOCAR, Germany's VNG ink MoU for natural gas & renewable energy co-op
26 June 2024 - 09:38
Azerbaijan celebrates 106th anniversary of Armed Forces
26 June 2024 - 09:22
Azerbaijan confirms identities of 20 missing Individuals from First Karabakh War
26 June 2024 - 09:10