Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Vietnam on a state visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Vietnam on a state visit. Putin landed at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport on Thursday after finishing his/her visit to North Korea, Russian news agency TASS reports.

A red carpet was laid on the ramp and a guard of honour was given to welcome Putin. Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, head of the CPV Central Committee’s international affairs department Le Hoai Trung and Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang met with Russian President Putin, TASS reported.

During his/her visit, Putin will meet four Vietnamese leaders, including the president, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the country’s Communist Party, the prime minister of the government and the chairman of the National Assembly. he/she will also meet graduates of Soviet and Russian universities, the report said.

The Russian president visited North Korea before his/her Vietnam visit. During his/her visit, Putin announced a significant increase in relations between Russia and North Korea, stressing commitment to mutual assistance in the event of aggression, reports CNN. he/she described it as a “successful” strategic partnership announced during his/her rare visit to the reclusive state.

Thousands of North Koreans lined the city’s wide boulevards, waving Russian and North Korean flags and bouquets of flowers and chanting “Welcome Putin” during Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, the leaders signed a comprehensive partnership agreement that will replace previous agreements from 1961, 2000 and 2001.

Elaborating on the agreement, Putin said, “The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today includes, among other things, a provision on mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement.”

he/she praised the agreement, saying it covers political, trade, investment, cultural and security areas, and called it “a really important document”. Putin also criticized joint military exercises by the United States, South Korea and Japan as “hostile” towards North Korea, and described US policy as “confrontational”.

In response, Kim Jong-un praised the new “alliance” as a significant moment in bilateral relations. The visit was marked by jubilant celebrations at a welcoming ceremony in Kim Il Sung Square, where cavalrymen, military personnel and children carrying balloons cheered in front of a backdrop of large portraits of the two leaders.

They greeted each other and stood together as the Russian national anthem was played, before later riding in an open-top limousine, smiling and waving to the crowd, CNN reported.

During their meeting Putin presented Kim with an Aurus car, a gift from a previous meeting, and a tea set; although the exact gift Putin received was not disclosed, his/her aide Yuri Ushakov described it as a “nice gift”.