Putin accepts invitation to soon visit Hanoi

Russian President Vladimir Putin posing with Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong during their meeting on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct 17, 2023. - AP

HANOI (Reuters): Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from his Vietnamese counterpart to soon visit Vietnam as the two met on Tuesday (Oct 17) on the sidelines of China's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Vietnamese state media reported.

Vietnam remains one of Russia's closest partners in Asia, ties that were developed during the Soviet era, and Hanoi is a major buyer of Russian weapons.