(19 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hanoi, Vietnam – 19 June 2024
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Aniruddha Ghosal, The Associated Press:
"Russian President Vladmir Putin’s visit to Vietnam is taking place at a time when Moscow is facing growing international isolation because of its invasion of Ukraine. This is Putin’s first visit to the Southeast Asian nation since 2017 and his fifth in total. For Putin, the trip is to signal that Russia is not isolated in Asia despite the Ukraine war. For Vietnam, Russia remains an important partner, not just for long historical ties, but also because Russia is the biggest supplier of military equipment. Moreover Russian oil exploration technologies help maintain Vietnam’s sovereignty claims over the contested South China Sea. Vietnam is reinforcing its traditional relationship with Russia while it diversifies ties with newer partners, most notably the US. But Putin’s visit has resulted in a sharp rebuke from the American embassy in Hanoi."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Russian President Vladmir Putin arrived in Hanoi on Thursday for a state visit to the Southeast Asia nation.
Putin’s visit to Vietnam is taking place at a time when Moscow is facing growing international isolation because of its offensive in Ukraine.
The visit is Putin’s first to Vietnam since 2017 and his fifth in total.
He landed in the Southeast Asian country after concluding his first trip to North Korea in 24 years.
There, he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement that pledges mutual aid if either country faces “aggression,” a strategic pact that comes as both face escalating standoffs with the West.
In Hanoi, the Russian leader is scheduled to meet Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the new President To Lam and other politicians.
The trip has resulted in a sharp rebuke from the United States Embassy in Hanoi.
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