Diplomatic mission: Lavrov attending a wreath laying ceremony at the mausoleum of the late President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi. — AFP
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Vietnam as part of an effort to bolster ties with a country that has not openly condemned its invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov, on his way to Bali for a G-20 meeting, sought to strengthen ties with Vietnam, which also has a strong relationship with the United States.
Lavrov is currently on a trip to Asia to seek support amid his country’s diplomatic isolation by the West and punishing sanctions levelled over its invasion of Ukraine. He had visited Mongolia a day before arriving in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. Mongolia also retains ties with Moscow but has burgeoning relations with Washington.
The visit comes as the two countries marked 10 years since ex8panding their relationship to a strategic partnership.
The Soviet Union was a close backer of Hanoi’s Communist government during the Vietnam War.
Lavrov departed Vietnam yesterday and travelled to Indonesia to attend the meeting of foreign ministers. — AP
