President Putin lays wreath at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Following his dialogue with Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the afternoon, Putin came to the mausoleum to place flower wreaths and pay respect. He also placed flower wreaths and paid respect at the Martyrs’ Memorial.

"Ho Chi Minh, the great son of the Vietnamese people and our country’s great friend, is the one who began the bilateral cooperation relations between our two countries," Putin said.

On the fact that a President Ho Chi Minh Statue was opened to the public in St. Petersburg last year, Putin said Russia always remembers President Ho Chi Minh as a great patriot, politician and diplomat, who was always resolute to protect his country’s sovereignty and freedom.

Medical experts from the Soviet Union (in the past) and Russia have helped Vietnam in preserving President Ho Chi Minh’s remains, before Vietnam received the technologies and built laboratory systems to create preservation solutions themselves since 2004.

Putin is having a state visit to Vietnam as the countries commemorate their 30-year anniversary of signing an agreement on fundamental principles of the Vietnam-Russia friendly relations.

During dialogues on Thursday afternoon, he and Vietnamese counterpart To Lam passed a joint declaration and supported the principles of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.