Vietnam is gearing up to host the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who flies into Hanoi on Wednesday evening after meeting Kim Jong Un in North Korea.
Putin is visiting the Vietnam capital at the invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
On Thursday, the Russian leader will take part in a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, before engaging in bilateral talks with Communist Party chief Trong. He will also meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vietnamese who studied in Russia. Putin will also attend a state banquet.
Having been isolated on the international stage, Putin is seeking to shore up support from Russia’s remaining allies. It remains unclear exactly how Vietnam hopes to gain from hosting a visit from Putin, who remains under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes against Ukraine.
Commentators suggest Putin’s brief tour of Vietnam and North Korea is of practical as well as symbolic importance.
“Putin’s trip to Vietnam will reinvigorate their comprehensive strategic partnership and shore up economic relations through trade and investment commitments by adopting a rouble-đồng currency exchange mechanism for goods and services payments,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Australia and a Vietnam expert.
During his stay in Hanoi, Putin will stay at The Sofitel Metropole, a French-owned hotel. Prior to his arrival, a Russian-chartered jumbo jet shipped in limousines for Putin's use throughout his visit.