Sputnik comes to you live as Russian President Vladimir Putin pays a state visit to Vietnam, where he hasn't been since 2017.
Later on Thursday, Putin met with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam, as well as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man.
The negotiations focused on various aspects of the bilateral relationship, including economic partnership, trade, and scientific and technological cooperation.
Putin's trip to Vietnam comes shortly after his state visit to North Korea, where he was hosted by the country's leader Kim Jong Un and signed a comprehensive partnership agreement.