Putin Hosts Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung in Kremlin for Bilateral Talks

Kremlin Meeting Reinforces Russia-Vietnam Strategic Partnership

Russian President Vladimir Putin received Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung at the Kremlin in Moscow on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The high-level meeting underscored the ongoing commitment of both nations to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership across various sectors.

Minister Le Hoai Trung arrived in Moscow as a special envoy of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam. His primary objective was to brief the Russian leadership on the outcomes of the recent 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). This marks the first instance of the General Secretary sending a special envoy to Russia for such a purpose, signaling the significant importance Vietnam places on its relationship with the Russian Federation.

Discussions on Bilateral Relations and Economic Cooperation

During the meeting, President Putin lauded the positive trajectory of bilateral relations, noting that 'Our bilateral relations have been developing positively, and trade has been growing. We have substantive, candid dialogue on every issue, including political dimensions.' He extended congratulations to Minister Trung on the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year and conveyed warm wishes to General Secretary To Lam, also congratulating him on his re-election to the post of General Secretary of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The Russian President reaffirmed Vietnam as one of Russia's key partners in the Asia-Pacific region and expressed Russia's consistent commitment to strengthening and deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership. Discussions also touched upon enhancing cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, oil and gas, and military-technical cooperation, while exploring new avenues in nuclear energy, science and technology, and transport.

Trade and Future Prospects

Bilateral trade between Russia and Vietnam, while experiencing a slight contraction last year, remains a crucial economic partnership. Total trade turnover reached approximately US$4.59 billion in 2025. Both countries have set an ambitious target of US$10 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

Minister Le Hoai Trung, in turn, conveyed General Secretary To Lam's message and outlined Vietnam's willingness to bolster cooperation across various sectors, including nuclear energy, oil and gas, maritime cooperation, defense, military-technical collaboration, transport, and science and technology. He emphasized that both the Vietnamese party and state view relations with Russia as strategic and possessing long-term prospects.

High-Level Engagements and Future Visits

Minister Trung also conveyed General Secretary To Lam's invitation for President Putin to visit Vietnam, an invitation which President Putin 'gladly accepted.' Russian officials present at the meeting included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister and Co-Chair of the Russian-Vietnamese Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation Dmitry Chernyshenko, and Aide to the President Yury Ushakov.

Prior to his meeting with President Putin, Minister Le Hoai Trung held separate discussions with other senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the United Russia Party, and Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, to further brief them on the outcomes of the CPV's 14th National Congress.