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Article by Vladimir Putin for publication in Nhân Dân, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee,
Russia and Vietnam: Friendship Tested by Time
June 19, 2024

On the eve of my next, fifth visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, I would like to share with the readership of the respected and influential newspaper Nhân Dân my vision of the history, present-day state and future of the Russian-Vietnamese partnership.
It is symbolic that our upcoming visit to Vietnam will take place around the date that marks the 30th anniversary of the Russian-Vietnamese Treaty on Foundations of Friendly Relations. This strategic document opened up vast opportunities to strengthen and develop the whole range of bilateral ties, giving them a powerful impetus and increasing their dynamics at the new historical stage.
Hồ Chí Minh, the great son of the Vietnamese people and a good friend of our country, stood at the origins of our bilateral cooperation. Russia honours the memory of this outstanding patriot, politician and statesman who always firmly and uncompromisingly defended the sovereignty and freedom of his Homeland. I would like to note that a monument to the first President of Vietnam was erected last year in St Petersburg to commemorate the centenary of his visit to Russia's “northern capital.”
Our country significantly contributed to the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people against foreign invaders. After the victory and complete liberation of the Vietnamese territory from the occupiers, it was Soviet builders, engineers, doctors, teachers and scientists who helped rebuild Vietnam. They put in a lot of effort to develop its economic and defence potential and address top social priorities.
These time-proven traditions of fellowship and mutual support provide a solid foundation for furthering the bilateral relations of comprehensive strategic partnership.
Vietnam is a vibrant and unique ancient civilization adding to the tapestry of a multipolar world. Hanoi pursues an independent foreign policy in the global arena and strongly advocates a just world order based on international law and principles of equality of all states and non-interference in their internal affairs.
We highly appreciate the fact that our countries have coinciding or similar approaches to pressing issues on the international agenda. We work closely together within key international forums, first of all within the United Nations. We have similar assessments of the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. We see Vietnam as a like-minded partner in shaping a new architecture of equal and indivisible Eurasian security on an inclusive and non-discriminatory basis.
We are grateful to our Vietnamese friends for their balanced position on the Ukraine crisis and their desire to facilitate the search for practical ways to settle it peacefully. All of this is fully in line with the spirit and nature of our relations.
It is important that the two countries have consistently given serious attention to enhancing mutual trade and promoting investment. Thus, according to Russian statistics, bilateral trade increased by eight percent in 2023, and gained more than a third in the first quarter of the current year compared to the same period last year. Food, mineral resources, machinery and equipment are exported to Vietnam. Many Vietnamese goods, including clothing, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products, are in demand on the Russian market. The 2015 Free Economic Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam helps reinforce and further develop these positive trends.
The possibility exists for our countries to carry out settlements in national currencies – the Russian ruble and the Vietnamese dong. Such transactions accounted for more than 40 percent of bilateral trade last year, and in the first quarter of this year their share rose to almost 60 percent.