President Putin to visit Vietnam today

The visit will be Putin's fifth to Vietnam since 2001.

Gennady Bezdetko, Russian ambassador to Vietnam, said Putin will visit Vietnam as head of a delegation of Russian regional and federation leaders as well as Russian major businesses.

Putin is scheduled to attend dialogues and meetings with Vietnam's leaders, and join an event with graduates from Russian and Soviet Union universities.

During the visit, the leaders from both sides are expected to issue a joint statement and sign a cooperation pact in education, justice, customs procedures, health and energy, Bezdetko said.

Vietnam established diplomatic relations with Russia, then Soviet Union, in 1950. The countries elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2012.

The two countries have signed more than 100 cooperation agreements in economy, commerce, investment, security and defense.

As of April, Russia has invested $984.98 million in 186 projects in Vietnam, making it the 28th largest investor out of 145 countries and territories. Vietnam, in turn, has invested $1.63 billion in 18 projects in Russia, focusing on sectors like oil and gas, agriculture, and manufacturing, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Bilateral trade reached $3.63 billion in 2023, a 2.3% increase from the previous year. Russia has also offered 1,000 scholarships to Vietnamese students in 2023, with approximately 5,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in Russia. The Vietnamese community in Russia numbers between 60,000 and 80,000 people.

Putin paid official and state visits to Vietnam in 2001, 2006 and 2013. In 2017, he arrived in Da Nang to attend the APEC Summit.